You gained Love
by marakimerm
Summary: Sans has to stop Frisk from killing every monster in the Underworld. However, when he realised that it isn't Frisk who killed his brother, he will do anything to save her. I do not own Undertale
1. Poor Sans

"That face" you whispered while the kid was walking towards you. "That is the face of someone who has died five times in a row". You chuckled without humor while balancing a bone on you middle finger. "That's kinda convenient, huh? Once for each finger". She didn't seem very amused. Your eyes went completely black. "But soon…"

You threw a series of bones and gaster blasters, but she avoided almost each one of them. You cursed softly while you avoided her attack. Your attacks were always similar and in the last three resets she had started to recognize them and didn't take much damage. You would have to start using more magic soon. Then things would start getting risky.

The tiny girl, just a little taller than you, held the knife with a strength that didn't match her angelic face. You looked closely while she jumped over the rays of a gaster blaster for an indication that she knew what she had done, knew who she had killed. The only thing you could clearly see though were red eyes shining with determination to erase the world.

You resisted the urge to scream with despair when you dodged another one of her attacks. Some days ago, at least for you, you two and Papyrus were sitting on the couch watching a cheesy Mettaton movie. She giggled each time you made another bad pun. It was driving Papyrus humorously insane. The girl moved closer to you and her brown eye shone with happiness when you hugged her tightly…

"Frisk! Why are you doing this?" you shouted while she was dodging a shower of bones coming from every direction. "Frisk, do you remember me?"

There was no answer.

You kept avoiding each other's attacks. It was weird, but you could have sworn that her hand sometimes pulled in the other direction just fragments of a second before her knife hit you. It felt like she was defying the urge to kill you. Maybe, you though at those moments, maybe the person you had met was still there, somewhere. Maybe she had just woken up in the Ruins without any memory of who she was, of who her friends were and she was afraid. Maybe you had to try one more time to remind her.

You threw her on the floor with your magic and enhanced gravity so much that she couldn't even move her head without a huge effort. The magic made you tremble and sweat, but you could keep her like this for long enough to try and talk. You approached her slowly. The tiny creature was fighting to get away from your hold on her. Despite her wounds, she wasn't complaining nor crying. The only thing she seemed to want was to kill you.

But you just couldn't stop hoping.

"Frisk" you whispered aching, "Talk to me. Do you remember me Frisk? I am your friend".

You had made the same question during other fights too, but the only answer you got was the swing of a knife. But then, the red eyes shone and a low, hysterical laugh echoed in the corridor. The girl rose her head with difficulty and, smiling, she talked for the first time in your five fights.

"You idiot" she laughed. "Do you still think I am your precious Frisk? Have you not understood who you're talking to?"

You felt your bones tremble and your eye sockets became two dark abysses. You had seen those red eyes again in another body, so you didn't think it could be… That person had been dead for a very long time. Another human was standing in front of you. But still…

"I'm Chara" she continued with an angelic smile. You took a big breath while taking a step back.

"No" you whispered to yourself mostly, "It's not possible…"

She laughed a paranoid laugh. You knew this wasn't the laugh of your little Frisk. From the moment you saw her outside Snowdin you felt there was something different on her, a strange aura you remembered from before. But you just couldn't accept it.

"Oh, but it is, Sansy…" she said mockingly. The nickname made his bones hurt from grief. She used to call you this. Before the reset. When you were alone. "I'm Chara in the body of your beloved Frisk. I just couldn't stand watching a human treating monsters with so much kindness. Being friends with them and… Well. _Your_ relationship with her was so disgusting".

Your hands were trembling. You were mere moments away from killing her, breaking her body apart, watching the colour drain from her eyes. But if the kid's words were true, if the Frisk you knew was still in there somewhere, you couldn't kill her. You could never do that.

Chara chuckled even louder. You were already hating the cruel laugh coming from her lips, so different from the melodic sound you were used to hearing.

"You understand nothing" she continued cruelly. "Your little human is still alive in the back of her mind. She cried so much every time I killed someone. The pathetic little fool. You know, she begged me not to kill your stupid brother when he spared me". Mentioning Papyrus made your bones freeze. You wouldn't allow this wretched creature to talk about him.

"Don't you ever mention Papyrus to me" he whispered with a scary voice, as dozens of bones appeared above her, aiming her small body. She just smiled.

"You know, whatever hurts me, hurts her too" she said. "Oh, you've hurt her so much, she begged me to give up so that you would kill us faster. But you have no idea how much I enjoy her pain".

You stepped back covering your head with your palms, disgusted at the thought that you were hurting your little Frisk while she was trapped in there. "Does she… Does she remember me?" you whispered, your voice much more vulnerable than you wanted.

"Of course, you idiot" she answered happily. "She _loves_ you, Sans" she shrugged. "It's disgusting how much she wanted you to touch her". Her expression was ecstatic. "Isn't this more fun though? The fact that you will eventually die from the hands of the girl that loved you?"

The only thing you could was whisper. "Give her back. Now". You were trembling, hurting so much, you didn't understand your grip on her was loosening.

She laughed again, that awful cruel laugh, and her red eyes were shining with happiness. "Well, this time… I think I will give her to you… just for a little while"

"Wait" you screamed, "what are you doing?"

You were too surprised to stop her. Chara raised the hand holding the knife and buried it between her ribs. Simultaneously, the red eyes turned a familiar, sweet shade of brown and an awful scream filled the room.


	2. Rebirth

**Author's note: I wanted to note that English is not my native language, so there might be quite a lot of mistakes in here. I'm so sorry if there are, please tell me if you notice anything**

 **Thank you so much for reading this**

"Sans" you heart a low, girly voice. The same voice with which you were talking just a second ago, only rid of its ironic tone. She sounded fragile. And scared.

You approached the girl laying on the floor with fear for what you would see. Your magic wasn't holding her still anymore, but while you were standing next to her without talking, she made no move to hurt you. She was just striving to contain the blood flowing through her ribs, sobbing. During your five fights, it was the first time you saw her showing any kind of pain.

You kneeled next to her hesitantly, still feeling confused and afraid. This could all be just a plan to make you more vulnerable, easier to kill. If she got past you, the whole Underground would be condemned to perish. When the girl turned to look at you though, you gazed into two deep brown eyes filled with so much sweetness, your heart would've broken if you had one.

"Sans?" she asked again with a shaky voice.

"Right here kid" you answered tensely. She tried to smile.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a kid Sans?"

You wanted desperately to make her laugh with a stupid joke, but for the first time you couldn't master a pun. You were unable to turn away your eyes from the wound leaking red blood onto the floor and her chest, fighting to take a breath. Maybe if you hadn't challenged Chara this wouldn't have happened, maybe Frisk wouldn't be agonizing right next to you. The guilt was so immense, you couldn't think of a single word to say to the girl you were hoping to get back.

"You hate me, don't you?" she whispered. She started to cry anew, until her sobs were interrupted by a scream of agony as the knife twisted in her body.

"Shhh" you answered, pulling the hair from her sweaty face. The movement was difficult at first-your whole body was rebelling against touching the person who had taken you dear brother's life. However, right after you touched her face, you felt nice. You reminisced times when Frisk was sleeping at your house, her head on your lap and you were caressing her soft hair, wishing you could stay like this forever. "How could I ever hate you, sweetheart?"

"How could you ever be merciful after everything I've done?" she replied. New tears flooded her eyes and you wiped them with your phalanges.

"It wasn't you" you muttered bitterly, fresh memories still cutting deep as a knife. Your brother's favorite orange scarf, laying on top of a pile of his dust. You clenched your fist, but tried very hard not to harden your look. She was still looking at you with so much sadness and guilt in her eyes that whatever doubt had remained within you dissolved immediately. "Just tell me Frisk, please, why is this timeline different?"

It was a question that had been bothering you from the first moment you saw Chara killing a monster with a smile on her face. Every time Frisk had turned back time after she had died, the world didn't reset, it just nearly repeated the same day. And she never fought, no matter how many times she had been hurt by the attack of a random monster or died from Undyne's spears, she never attacked back. That was what made you interested in her, made you want to learn more about her, and talk to her about you openly, feeling things you didn't imagine you could feel. That's why her sudden attack at your sentry station outside of Snowdin had hurt you irreplaceably.

Frisk coughed and blood flooded her mouth. You didn't have much time. In a little while, had heart would stop beating and time would turn back. You doubted Frisk would be back as well, though. "Frisk… I need to know"

She nodded aching and coughed once more. "Her voice was there, in the back of my head, ever since I first arrived in the Underground. I'd fallen on a bed of flowers, right on top of the place she had been buried. First I thought I was crazy. When I realized the voice was real, she pleaded me not to fight her back. She said that without me she was condemned to fade in oblivion. So I didn't fight her. Most of the time she was just a little murmur in the back of my head, not participating in anything. I usually forgot she was there"

An idea had started to form in your mind. "I guess she wasn't very happy when Asgore killed you" you told her wryly.

"No, she didn't like it" she answered, shaking with fear. She covered her eyes with her palms, as if she was trying to protect herself from something invisible to you. "She hated him. She wanted to kill him, even though he had treated her as his own child. I didn't want to fight, but he kind of forced me. While I was fighting him, her voice became stronger in my mind… When I was almost dead, she cursed me for not attacking him. Her rage was immense, her determination stronger than mine. She got a hold on my wavering soul and used it to reset".

You nodded, mostly to yourself since Frisks eyes were blurring as she was approaching death. You knew the true story of Chara's hatred towards the king and queen of the Underground from Flowey, whom you had faced many times in different timelines. It wasn't hard to imagine Chara waiting patiently within the mind of a kind human, waiting for the moment she could overcome then and use their body and soul to take her revenge.

A sad sound echoed in the corridor as the girl was trying to breath. Your bones were aching watching little Frisk suffer and knowing you had hurt her again and again without your will. With trembling hands, you continued caressing her hair, wishing her torture would end and wishing at the same time it would never end- cause you knew that, when she died, there were slim chances you would ever see her again.

"Hey, do you remember that night when Undyne and Alphys came by my house to watch that movie they found in the garbage?" you asked her, choosing one of your favorite memories of you together.

She smiled weakly. "I do remember. Undyne heated Papyrus's spaghetti so much it burned and Alphys couldn't stop mumbling about how awful the sequel was".

"It was a fun time though, wasn't it?" you told her, feeling your eyes water against your will. "It's been a little bone-ly without you" you said with a smile you both knew was not real.

"Good one" she answered with difficulty. With a huge effort, she raised her hands to cap your skull within her palms. Your tears overflowed. The last time she had touched you like that, it was the best night of your life and the last night you had spent together. "Sans…" she whispered, "when she comes back, call for me. I will be there, even if the only one you see is her".

"I will" you cried. "Now that I know you are in there, I will do anything to free you".

She moved her head negatively. "No. Promise that if you ever think she can overcome you, you will stop her, even if I have to be lost. You have to do it. You are the only one who can".

"You know how much I hate promises, kid" you moaned, "and this is not one I would be happy to keep"

"Promise, Sans. It's the only way I will agree to try to fight her back".

"I promise" you whispered, feeling defeated, as you watch the last hint of colour leave her face. How could you not promise? She was dying and that might've been the last time you ever saw her.

"Don't forget your promise…" were her last words, right before her soul broke in two pieces.

The room turned black and cold, like every time she reset. You couldn't see anything, trapped between timelines, hearing conversations you once had or you might have in the future. You needed all your concentration to keep still and not move around in the vast darkness surrounding you, afraid you would enter a world very different from your own. When the darkness was cleared, the terrible nausea made your bend and you scrapped your skull with your hands, as your head was throbbing with pain. You never got used to the terrible feeling of time turning back, which was accompanied by an intense feeling of loss, as a possible future and life for you and many other people was erased.

You straightened your body quickly, before the slow menacing steps echoed in the room. The girl standing in front of you looked exactly like the one laying dead on the floor just a while ago, except from her threatening red eyes. She pouted her lips and then smiled so sweetly, you couldn've sworn she was an angel and not a murderer.

"Well? How was your little Frisk?" she laughed. Hurt, you thought. Full of sadness, pain and guilt. Just like you. But you smiled back. Your left eye shone with a threatening shade of blue.

"Better than you will be… Cause you are about to have a BAD time".


	3. Poor unfortunate soul

**Author's note: Frisk is supposed to be a female (duh) and a young adult in this story. Believe me, I'm not a pedophile. :P**

 **Also… Disney reference : )**

It's weird how time seems to pass more slowly when you're begging for something to end. While you were striving to avoid Chara's knife, using your magic to move her hand to make her miss, every second seemed to last agonizingly long. Miss, miss, miss- you _had_ to attack her at some point, wound her to make her weaker, but you couldn't stand hurting her knowing Frisk would feel it too. You had promised her a bad time and that was a promise you would happily keep, but not before you could think of a way to save the human.

She had approached you too much. Losing control of your powers, you threw her with all your force on a pillar. She arose slowly, one side of her face covered with blood. Now it would be the perfect time to attack, do some real damage, but the sight of blood on Frisk's face terrified you. Chara wiped the blood, shining with glee.

"You don't to hurt me, right Sans?". You didn't answer. She started playing with her knife, throwing it in the air and catching it again by the handle. She attacked you suddenly, stabbing the air in every direction- you dodged her startled and ended up using your magic again to puss her back, being careful not to use too much force. She laughed again. "Hey, keep doing that. You'll get tired eventually. By the end of the day, you'll be reduced to a pile of dust'.

"Don't be so sure" you answer with your voice devoid from any emotion.

You noticed a part of the ceiling was crumbly. With a move of your finger, you made it collapse, hoping to delay her next attack, making sure it was easy for her to avoid at the same time. Chara moved away from the falling stones at first, but then she sprinted forward at the last second.

You couldn't contain a cry of fear. The stones were enough to bring the girl to the brick of death, lowering her HP to 5. One more hit and Chara would lose, resulting to time turning back to the beginning of your battle. You couldn't risk that, and you couldn't risk hurting Frisk more as well. Chara rose from the ruins covered in dust, full of scratches and with bruises starting to appear, her left hand turned towards an unnatural angle that made you think it was probably broken. They were definitely in great agony at that moment. However, Chara walked towards you smirking.

"It does hurt quite a lot" she muttered to herself while approaching you slowly. Your body tensed awaiting her next attack. "But do you know something?" she laughed hysterically, "I don't care! Cause the one hurting the most is your little sweet Frisk. It's her body. It's her senses. It's her pain".

Your bones trembled. She injured herself so that you could watch her hurt Frisk. If that was true, if Frisk was the one hurting the most, you couldn't possibly bring you self to injure her again, you couldn't keep this on. It might be a trick to make you hesitate… But what if it wasn't?

"How sweet…" she whispered mockingly. "She's begging me not to kill you. To spare _you_ , at least. To show mercy". She run to you with her knife crossing the air and she laughed when you managed to dodge her at the last moment. "When I kill you, I will turn back time again and again until you give yourself willingly to my knife".

How long would this last? You had a hard time giving this fight your all since your were afraid of injuring Frisk. And what if you won one more time? She would come back, the human would still be trapped, your brother would remain dead, your life meaningless…

No. Stay determined. For Papyrus. For Frisk. For every monster who gave its life to stop Chara. You wouldn't let their sacrifice be in vain, you wouldn't give up just yet.

As determination filled your soul, an idea started to form in your mind. _Violence is not the solution here_ , you though. Frisk had "won" everyone with her kindness and love. Maybe… Maybe that was the only way to get her back.

Raising your hand and using every last bit of your concentration, you threw Chara on the floor, keeping her still with your gravity magic, careful not to lower her HP. The effort and control needed for this were exhausting. You wouldn't be able to last very long like this. You meekly hoped your idea was not wrong, or this might turn out to be a fatal mistake.

"You think you can keep me like this forever?" Chara mocked you. You kneeled next to her body. "You'll get too tired eventually!" she screamed, looking kind of upset because of your composure and calm movements. Her body started to shake with anger as you gently touched her face with your hands. "Don't you dare touch me you disgusting piece of shit!"

You didn't mind her screams. You looked deeply into her eyes, imagining you were gazing into Frisk's brown eyes and tried to channel all the affection you felt for her into your voice. "Come back, Frisk. Come back to me".

"Shut your mouth!" Chara shouted, but you didn't pay any attention to her. You kept addressing Frisk.

"I'm right here. I'm waiting for you. I know you can beat her". You leaned slowly and placed your forehead on hers.

One side of her face was suddenly wet. You raised your head and felt love overflowing you. One of the girl's eyes was red and full of hatred. The other was brown and full of tears. You felt more confident than ever. You kissed her forehead and her cheeks and, not being able to resist the impulse, her soft lips. Vivid memories took over your mind. She had fallen asleep in your arms after a long movie night. You were playing with the snow outside of Snowdin when she suddenly turned and kissed your temple- your skull was a light shade of blue for five full minutes after that. You had kissed her in Waterfall when she whispered her wish to take all monsters to the surface to an Echo Flower…

You raised your head carefully. You gazed into two brown eyes filled with tears. "Sans…" she murmured and hugged you fiercely despite her wounds. You embraced her tightly. Pain, affection, fear- all these were yours at that moment.

"You managed to bring me back…" she whispered.

"And you will stay here"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure I'm strong enough to stay, Sans. Take my soul. Bring it to Asgore. Use it to take everybody to the surface".

You pulled away from your embrace. "Like hell I would. Not now that I have you back in my arms. Turn back time. Turn it back to the beginning and make everything right this time".

"I'm scared" she muttered closing her eyes. You kissed her eyelids one after another.

"You're strong. I know that. Stay determined, Frisk. Go back… and I will be back there for you". You pulled her closer and kissed her again. Her little body was shaking with fear and pain, but she kissed you back desperately. "I won't let her win. I brought you back this time and I will do it again if I must". You smiled and blinked. "It's an activity I rather enjoy".

She giggled weakly but her eyes were still clouded with fear. "She's still there. In the back of my head. Fighting to take control".

"We won't let her" you reassured the girl.

"Sans, if I reset time and she is the one to come back and you can't save me no matter how hard you try… Kill me".

"Frisk…" you murmured.

"Listen to me! You will try as hard as you can. But if everything is lost, know that I am willing to give up on my soul". She smiled sweetly and closed her skull in her tiny hands. "Don't forget about me" she said.

"Never" you answered, your voice hoarse. Her body disappeared from your hands and you dived into the nothingness between timelines.

You woke up in your room in Snowdin.


	4. Down to the bone

"SAAAAAANS YOU LAZY BONES WAKE UP ALREADY". Papyrus's voice sounded from the kitchen to your bedroom loudly. The comically loud, usually annoying voice of your brother felt like music to your eyes at that moment. Not being able to resist, you teleported right in the kitchen with a huge smile on your face, the first genuine one after quite a lot of time. You ran and hugged your brother laughing hysterically. You had missed him terribly. Tears appeared in your eye sockets but you held them back. You didn't want to worry him at all.

"SANS IF YOU THINK THAT BY BEING AFFECTIONATE I WILL LET YOU STAY HOME INSTEAD OF WORKING YOU ARE VERY WRONG" he said suspiciously as you let him free of your embrace.

You were so delighted to see him, being his usual over energetic self, that you smiled even wider –if that was even possible. "Why would I ever want that? You know how much I love my job".

He placed his hands on your shoulders and looked at you skeptically. "ARE YOU SICK OR SOMETHING?"

"Nah, just happy". He held your gaze for one more second but then he just shrugged and turned back to his cooking. You immediately realized that you would have spaghetti for breakfast. Again. But right then, you loved it.

"Hey Papyrus, do you know why I usually avoid your spaghetti?" you asked, smiling in advance thinking his reaction.

"DON'T YOU DARE…"

"Cause I don't have the stomach for it" you laughed and Papyrus started moving his hand around like crazy. But you knew he was just fighting back the urge to laugh.

"SAAAANS STOP FILLING MY EVERY DAY WITH THESE HORRIFIC JOKES"

"You're smiling"

"THAT'S JUST THE SHAPE OF MY SKULL"

You smiled softly but didn't tease him anymore. Happiness and nostalgia overwhelmed you. These mornings, with your brother cooking his favorite food and you trying to launch as many jokes as possible, were maybe the thing you had missed the most when he was gone. Your brother was super cool and you loved him more than anything. This time, you would make sure no one would hurt him, even if you had to kill Chara a million times.

The mere thought of the name made your thoughts darker and you clenched your fists. You felt your left eye burn and you knew it was shining with its distinctive blue color. Your brother, who was serving you at the moment, noticed immediately. "SANS IS SOMETHING THE MATTER?"

You laughed as lightly as you could but it sounded fake to you. Your good mood was starting to wither as your mind dealt with things more sinister than your reunion with Papyrus. "Just a little bone tired" you answered to make him sigh with irritation.

"JUST FINISH YOUR BREAKFAST SO WE CAN GO TO WORK. I HAVE A GOOD FEELING TODAY. I THINK IT'S THE DAY I WILL FINALLY CAPTURE A HUMAN".

Your soul froze. That was the exact same thing he had told you the day he died. Obviously, his memories of Frisk were buried somewhere within his mind, but could only explain them as "feelings". Grabbing his hand fiercely, you gazed into his eye sockets with seriousness. "Papyrus. If you do see a human today, no matter what happens, don't fight them".

"BUT SANS, HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO GAIN THE RECOGNITION I NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD?" he asked you confused.

"It doesn't matter, just don't try to capture them. It's dangerous. Do it for me, okay?"

"OK" he answered reluctantly. "I HAVE TO GO TO WORK NOW. BYE BROTHER". He rushed out of the house with a hurt look on his face. He probably thought you considered him too weak to face a human. You hated making him feel like that, but you definitely preferred that over losing him again.

The time had flown by. If the girl was coming to Snowdin, she would do it any time now. Which girl though? Chara or Frisk? With your bones aching from agony, you teleported a few meters away from the door leading to the Ruins and hid in the trees. If Frisk came out of that door, you would've earned a friend, or maybe something even more. If Chara came out, you would have to stop a murderer.

The seconds passed agonizingly slowly in your agony, but you were grateful at least that your brother didn't pass by to check on you, probably because his pride had been stung. When you heard the ancient door creak and open slowly, a trembled ran through your body. It was time.

You couldn't observe the girl's eye color from your hiding spot. She was walking reluctantly, obviously scared, looking at her surroundings cautiously. Maybe she was searching for you. To hug you or kill you? You didn't really know. She walked over the thick branch laying on the path without stepping on it. With a twitch of your finger, you made the branch break in half. She seemed startled when the sound echoed clearly in the silence of the forest. She walked even more slowly to the bridge Papyrus had built, too big to stop anyone, since it was based on his own proportions. With one more movement of your finger, her legs were stabilized and you approached her with careful, loud steps.

"Human. Don't you know how to greet an old pal?". She shivered. With expectation, rage or fear? The suspense was killing you. "Turn around and shake my hand".

The girl turned towards him hesitantly. Her hands weren't dusty and her pupils were a warm shade of brown. Your soul was filled with relief. That was Frisk standing in front of you, not Chara. The girl who had turned back time when you kissed her. You smiled as widely as you could master and opened your hands in an embrace. She didn't run to you, as you hopped, but she did give you her hand. A comic sound filled the awkward silence.

You both burst out laughing. No matter how many times you made that prank, it never seemed to bore you. "It never gets old" you said smiling. She nodded, still giggling.

"That's true". She looked at you warily, pouting her lips and didn't hug you as you'd hopped. You dropped your hands and put them in your pockets disappointed. _Maybe she's still in shock_ , you thought. But something in her gaze made you feel worried. «Hey, do I know you from somewhere? It's strange since I only got here, but I could swear I've seen you before"

"You… don't know me?" you whispered, striving to keep smiling.

"No, I don't" she answered eyeing you suspiciously.

If you had a heart, it would've plummeted in your chest. Her gaze looked genuinely innocent and puzzled. Maybe the effort needed to rewind time while being in possession by Chara was so great, that even reset her own memories. But then, that meant she knew nothing. She didn't remember the moments you had spent together, neither the good nor the bad ones and she didn't know who Papyrus, Undyne or Alphys were. She didn't know _you_. You clenched your fists, but kept your face calm. She was starting to look at you with fear.

"Well, I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton. I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but I don't really care about capturing anybody". The girl sighed with relief.

"Thank God. I'm Frisk. It's actually nice to meet you". She smiled with a sincere, happy smile and your bones ached for her. "Could you please direct me towards Snowdin? I was told I'm supposed to go there if I want to get out"

Choking back on your sadness you strived to appear as reassuring as you could master. You had befriended her once, you could do it again. Of course, it was possible that this time around she'd want nothing to do with you… But you would try. You would remember her. Exactly as you'd told her. "It's that way" and said and pointed to the path leading to the small town. "However, if you go that way, you'll probably encounter my brother and he's a human hunting fanatic". Τhe girl couldn't keep back a cry of fear, but you tried to calm her with your smile. "Don't worry, he's actually really nice, he wouldn't dare hurt a Whimsun. Oh, I think that's him coming that way". He was indeed coming, right on time as always. "Go through that gate thingy –my brother made it too wide to stop anybody- and hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp". Why such a convenient lamp was out there in the forest you'd never found out.

Frisk raised an eyebrow with disbelief and a hint of a smile. "Seriously?". You chuckled and motioned for her to get behind the lamp. She hid herself right when Papyrus was reaching your sentry station.

The conversation that followed never ceased to amuse you. It also made you really happy that Frisk couldn't stop giggling with your puns about doing a skele-ton of work and working yourself down to the bone. Just like every other time, your brother didn't look behind the lamp, thinking you were only teasing him. As he was leaving trying really hard not to laugh, Frisk emerged from her hiding spot with a huge smile on her face.

"Your brother seems really cool" she told you and you couldn't believe how happy that single sentence made you.

"He is" you answered. "I'm more of a bonehead". She giggled again and you actually felt hopeful this time. "Go on now. I will keep an eyesocket out for you".

She began walking, but then stopped abruptly and smiled at you. "Thanks for everything, Sans" she whispered blushing. You felt your skull burn and you knew it had turned a shameful shade of blue but, before you could answer, she turned away and kept walking towards Snowdin.

However, before she'd walked more than ten steps, she stopped again. You watched in disbelief as she took out a toy knife from her pocket. Before you could react, she had placed it on the inside of her hand and she was carving her skin.

Terrified, you teleported right in front of her, not caring if she discovered the power you tried to conceal the most and pulled her hand in the opposite direction. "What are you doing?" you yelled. When you looked closely, you understood.

Her right eye was shining with a hint of red. The cut on her hand created a distinguishable C. As your were looking at her, she shook her head startled. Her eyes turned brown again. "I don't know… I just seemed like a good idea at the moment…wait, what was I talking about again?". A chill went down your bones. "I guess I'm so tired my mind's playing games on me. Thanks again, Sans". Rubbing her eyes, she walked away, with a scared expression on her face. She didn't even glimpse her blood-bathed hand.

You had frozen in the middle of the road, your soul once again gripped by terror. You understood what this meant.

Chara was still there. And she wouldn't stop fighting so easily.


	5. Stolen memories

**I wanted to thank each and every one of you who has put up with my terrible English and read this far. Writing something that resembles literature even a little bit in a language you haven't grown up with is quite difficult (as I've found out). So thank you for reading this and if you notice something incorrect or if something doesn't sound as well in English as it does in Greek (cause I first write in Greek and then translate it) please tell me.**

 **Writing a whole story in a foreign language… It fills me with DETERMINATION.**

Helping Frisk with Papyrus's puzzles was not even as close to boring as you would have thought, having been through the same scenarios several times. The girl was unusually energetic, she stalled in the same places noticing every single detail of the environment, taking a snow piece from a friendly snowman and greeting every monster she met politely, even if they weren't as well behaved as she was. You giggled hidden in the trees as you watched her trying very hard to laugh at Snowdrake's awful jokes to make sure she didn't insult him. You had to admit, his puns were unfunny even to you.

When she reached Papyrus's invisible electricity maze you both strived very hard not to laugh when your brother gave away the solution without even noticing. Frisk spent ten minutes pretending she was having a hard time finding the solution, moving her hands in weird positions and muttering under her breath. Finally, she raised her hands in the air and screaming "Eureka!" she got past the maze. Your brother's expression was priceless.

"Hey, Papyrus seems to be having a nice time, thanks" you told her as your brother was leaving talking to himself, designing the next puzzle.

"It's nothing!" she laughed. Her cheeks were red because of the cold and she was constantly jumping up and down to warm herself, but she was radiating happiness. For a moment, you considered giving her your blue hoodie to keep her warm –noted, it wasn't something you did very often- but you thought it might seem strange to her and you hesitated. "I haven't had such fun since… well, basically I don't remember" she told you with a bit of a grimace.

"Is everything alright?" you asked, keeping your expression relaxed, even though you were worried about her.

"Yeah it's just that… I can't recall how I got here. Or anything about me, really, except my name and age. I suppose it's because of the fall". She pouted her lips as her eyes filled with worry for a moment. She was adorable.

"You will remember, kid" you reassured her with what you hoped was a comforting tone. She punched your hand in a playful manner.

"Hey, I'm not a kid, I'm almost twenty years old" she complained. She smiled to you, letting go of her frown. "Anyway, I guess I have to keep going. I guess you'll mysteriously appear in front of me later?"

You blinked. "We'll see". She sighed dramatically and went off. You preferred to take a shortcut, as always. To be precise, you teleported right where she was going meet your brother next.

Your highlight of the day was the word search you had left on the road. You had watched this series of events unfold a lot of times but, this time, Frisk actually gave a hilarious performance. Just when she grabbed the paper, she placed her hand on her chest and exclaimed with great pain «Oh no! A terribly difficult word search! How can I ever get past this one?". Your brother was left speechless by her "inability" to solve the puzzle and got closer to her to help her. The girl agreed and gasped in awe at all the right times and let Papyrus solve the whole word search. He was ecstatic and you couldn't keep your smile back.

"Thanks Papyrus!" Frisk smiled "I would've never done this without your help". You noticed Papyrus's face turned a little orangy, and he striked a fabulous pose, placing his hands on his hips.

«IT WAS HARDLY A CHALLENGE FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WORD SEARCHES ARE RIDICULOUS. JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST".

You decided to tease him and pretended to think about it seriously. "Really buddy? That easy peasy word scramble? That's for baby bones"

"UN. BELIEVABLE" he shouted and turned to Frisk for help. "SOLVE THIS DISPUTE HUMAN. WHICH IS THE HARDEST?"

You had to admit. Her poker face was professional. "Junior jumble, of course" she answered and then turned to you, giving you a little wink.

You waited for Papyrus to leave before you burst into laughter. You had forgotten how nice her laugh sounded and how much you liked making her laugh. "Thank you for taking time to host a whole performance just to appease my brother" you said sincerely. She hadn't tried so hard on previous timelines. She solved the puzzles easily, giggling at your jokes some times, but now she was honestly trying to make Papyrus happy.

"It's weird" she replied "but I feel like this is really important. Like these moments are very precious". You tried very hard not to frown. She'd never comprehend just how precious these moments were to you, not when she didn't remember the tragedies of the previous timeline. "I feel like I'm obligated to make him happy. Silly, huh?"

"No, not silly at all" you muttered as she was leaving.

You kept an eye (socket) on her as she was solving more puzzles and being attacked by random monsters. As the day was progressing and the kid tried to help the monsters who attacked her instead of resolving to violence, you felt a hint of the feeling humans called determination. And something more, too. You felt hope. Chara was still there, you'd seen that from the beginning, but the girl was unaware of her existence and was keeping her trapped, making her own story this time. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best you could've hoped for.

And if Chara managed to win over Frisk again after everything you'd been through and the return of the kid… She sure wasn't going to have a pleasant time.

Frisk arrived in Snowdin late, as she'd spent more time than usual on the puzzles to make Papyrus happy. When she entered the town, the sky was already turning dark. You decided to guide her through the town for the first time in the different timelines, since she looked tired. That was it. Not that you wanted to spend more time with her or something like that.

After you directed her towards Grillby's for takeout and arranged for her to stay in the hotel for free for as long as she desired –the owner was such a sweetheart, she hardly ever charged anybody anyways- you decided to leave her alone to rest. You didn't want to be blunt how much you wanted to be with her. As you waved goodbye and started on your way back, she grabbed your sleeve and made you turn back towards her. Her gaze was warmer than you expected. It made you feel nice.

"Sans… I can't express how grateful I am to you for helping me. Everyone here is so kind. I don't think I deserve it". She seemed sad all of a sudden. You laughed softly to lighten the mood.

"Why wouldn't you deserve it, kid? Don't be silly"

"No, I mean it" she answered and her voice concealed a pain you didn't expect to find. "Sans, I have no memory of why I ended up here. But I feel like something really awful happened right before I woke up in the Ruins. And I don't think it has anything to do with my life in the upper world". She had difficulty breathing properly and she seemed confused. "I'm stupid, aren't I? I've only met you today and I'm already telling you every silly thing my mind makes up". She chuckled awkwardly. "I'm sorry".

"No" you whispered, "Don't worry about it". You felt your cheeks turn blue and you cursed yourself under your breath. So many emotions were swirling inside you. You wanted to tell her everything about them, and you wanted her to talk to you about everything that tormented her but you couldn't, not unless she regained her memories first. They were still somewhere in her mind, you knew that and she could understand there was something wrong with her memories, too. However, no matter how much you wanted her to remember you, you wished she'd never have to recall her tragic last moments in the last timeline.

"Anyway" she mumbled when she saw you were having a hard time finding something else to say about the subject, "I think I should head to the hotel. Thanks again for everything, Sans. Goodnight".

She began to walk away with slow steps and a bent body. The urge to run to her and hug her for comfort was almost too much for you to handle. You contained it, though. You didn't want to scare her away now that she was back. "Frisk" you said simply and she turned to your voice. You thought you saw her eyes shining wet, but you couldn't tell for sure.

"Yes?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Everything will be alright… okay?"

Her smile could take your breath away. "Okay" she said simply and left.

If only you could believe that yourself.


	6. Bonetrousle

**Just a tiny bit of advice. If you haven't read Overgrowth (Undertale fanfic) go and do that right now. It takes place in the Underfell AU and it's utterly beautiful (and, moreover, my main reason for shipping FriskXSans).**

"HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS. FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION OF ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!"

Frisk managed not to laugh. On the contrary, she nodded seriously to your brother and agreed. You were hiding behind some trees next to the path where Papyrus's battle with the girl always took place. You usually watched without intervening at all. But after the last time… your philosophy on this had changed. You were observing Frisk carefully for any hint of red in her eyes. And if you saw one… this time round, you wouldn't be so lenient.

"I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT IS TO FEEL THIS WAY". Your brother kept talking. "AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. I PITY YOU, LONELY HUMAN…WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO MORE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR…NO! NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND! YOUR ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU"

You noticed that Frisk was frowning in disappointment. "Papyrus, you don't have to fight me. Please, let me go. We can truly be friends" she implored. You knew he wouldn't give up so easily, you told her right before she set out to meet him, but she tried nonetheless. "I swear I'm not a threat to the monster world. Okay, Paps?"

You noticed your brother turned slightly orange at the mention of the nickname. Frisk had started calling him Paps in her last two timelines, before Chara took over. It made him happy everytime. But he shook his head in denial.

"NO! IF I CAPTURE YOU, I CAN FULLFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER… OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

"You don't have to join the royal guard for people to like you, Papyrus" Frisk answered. "You're cool the way you are. I really like you". Obviously she meant to encourage Papyrus, not flirt with him, but each and every time, your brother misunderstood her intentions. And boy, was it _hilarious_ as all hell.

"WHAT?! FLIRTING?!". Your brother gasped and stroked a triumphant pose. "SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS. WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!"

Frisk seemed to think about it for a second. "Well… I can make pretty damn good spaghetti".

"OH NO!" he shouted dramatically. "YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU?"

Frisk opened her mouth, probably to tell him that no, he didn't have to go on a date with her, but Papyrus was too carried away to notice. "WE CAN DATE LATER! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!"

You couldn't help it, this was priceless. You hoped the wind and Papyrus's voice would conceal the sound of your laughter, but Frisk noticed. She turned to the sound and was surprised to see you there, watching. _Help me_ , she told you silently with her lips. You shook your hand in refusal, smiling widely. She pulled her tongue out, but you knew she was having as a good time as you were.

She dodged the first bones Papyrus sent on her easily and in confusion. Right when she seemed to understand that things were too easy, your brother activated his gravity magic, making her fall on the snow flat on the face with a wild surprised scream. As your brother was laughing –and you couldn't stop giggling with the view-, she managed to stand on her legs with superhuman effort. She turned towards you, asking for help once more, but you refused again. _Flirt_ , you said with your mouth silently as well. She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

"Hey Papyrus, would you please go on a date with me? Cause I'm _falling_ for you" she said seductively and Papyrus's face turned orange.

"N-NO! LET'S DATE LATER!" he answered, but his attack was weak since he was already thinking about his date.

"Don't you have a heart?" she sighed dramatically but then added "Wait. You actually don't".

You kept laughing at her ridiculous attempts in flirting while she was at the same time dodging attacks and trying to stay on her feet, resisting Papyrus's gravity magic. Every now and then she fell on the snow with her face or back as she was jumping and bending to avoid Papyrus's attacks and you started giggling again. Papyrus didn't seem to notice you were watching the fight from your place between the trees even though your laughs were loud enough to hear, but your brother was distracted trying to think about what to wear for this date and trying to put cologne behind his nonexistent ears.

When an annoying dog grabbed the bones he was going to use for his special, last attack, he resulted in sending a storm of bones in every possible shape to her, finally attacking her with a huge bone she didn't have a chance to dodge. This time, when she turned to glare to you with fake irritation, you finally decided to help her. With your left eye shining blue, you used magic to raise Frisk into the air, over the bones and place her back gently on the snow. When her feet touched the ground, the girl's face was red and she couldn't stop laughing. She jumped over the last, tiny bone Papyrus created and spent a moment to smile to you in reward for your help.

Something that didn't make you blush at all. Not even a little bit.

"WELL IT'S CLEAR YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME!" yelled Papyrus, huffing and puffing. "YEAH" he continued "I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS. THEREFORE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY. I WILL SPARE YOU HUMAN". He looked relieved that he didn't have to capture Frisk but he was frowning and you knew he was disappointed in himself, as he'd lost his chance at joining the Royal Guard. "IF I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU" he muttered "I DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD. MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT".

Frisk then did one more thing she hadn't done in any previous timeline. She run to Papyrus and hugged him tightly, smiling. "Silly Paps. I'm your friend, remember?"

Your brother seemed stunned but them his face was lit by happiness. "REALLY? YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME? WELL THEN, I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU. WOWIE! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE, AND I'VE ALREADY HIT THE FRIENDZONE!". Frisk chuckled and kissed his cheek.

You couldn't help feeling really joyful as you watched Papyrus inform the kid about the king and getting more and more excited about their date. He left after that and you were free to come out from your hiding spot. You couldn't wait to tease Frisk about the date. She had her back turned towards your direction and you giggled to inform her you were approaching. "So, you _fell_ for a skeleton, huh? That was quite _humerus_ ". You meant the question as a joke, obviously, but you couldn't help feeling apprehensive about the answer.

"Oh, she most certainly did" a low voice answered. It was not warm and happy any more, it was cold and cruel. The girl turned towards you, but it wasn't Frisk. It was Chara.

Frisk's brown eyes had turned red once more, but the glimmer was much stronger. Even the smile on her face seemed to belong to Chara, being mocking as it was. Fear gripped your soul. You knew Chara was still inside Frisk's mind, but she hadn't tried to take over while battling other monsters, not even Papyrus. She hadn't tried to make Frisk kill anybody just yet. So why appear now?

"It's actually kinda cute how much she likes you, even though she thinks she has only just met you" she said with a cold smile. "I tried my best to erase her memories when she reset time, but her love for her friends is still there". She chuckled mockingly. "It's making me sick".

"Why did you do that?" you asked calmly. Seeing her in front of you, the girl who'd killed your brother and so many more people, you felt the impulse to kill her right there and then. But you couldn't do that as long as Frisk was still there.

"Because of _you_ , idiot" she whispered with a threatening smile. "You and your STUPID actions awakened her last time and made her reset. So I thought… what better revenge than erasing her memories of you, leaving you completely alone once again?". She wanted to make you furious, you knew that, and she was damn right achieving it. You already felt your left eye burn.

"You can't take over her body. I brought her back once, I will do it again" you said and your voice sounded certain, even though your soul was doubtful.

She laughed at your words. She was certainly enjoying her time tormenting you. "I know you can do that again. So I won't take over her body. No, no, I have a better idea this time. I will make her hate you, hate you so much that she'll kill you all by herself".

"You can't do that" you whispered, but pain and fear were obvious in her voice. Your Frisk would never willingly hurt you or anyone else. Not even Chara could make her do that… right?

She smiled sweetly. If it wasn't for the red eyes, you would've thought Frisk was back. "Poor, poor Sans" she said. "What will happen if I show her the memories of the previous timeline? You and Undyne killing her again and again and again, tearing her body to bloody pieces… How can she not hate you after that?". She cackled hysterically and then winked to you. "See you soon Sansy… Let's see how much she'll _love_ you after this".

Frisks body collapsed and convulsed by incontrollable spasms as her eyes turned brown again.


	7. Trust

"Frisk!" you screamed running to her trembling body. Her eyes were wide open and filled with fear. You kneeled next to her but when you hesitantly tried to touch her arm, she shoved it away.

"No! Monster! Get away from me!" she screamed and her body started shaking even harder, her eyes now focused on something invincible to you. Terror gripped your soul. Not now, not now that everything was going so well. _Damn you, Chara_.

A few seconds later, the spasms were over. The girl looked unconscious. It was really cold for a human, she'd certainly get sick if you didn't get her somewhere warm. You thought of taking her in your arms and carrying her to your place, but you immediately regretted it. If Frisk had remembered your fights, she probably wouldn't want to be at your house. And she probably wouldn't stand you touching her ever again. If she woke up while you were carrying her and she eyed you with that horrific look of hate and fear… you couldn't handle that.

You felt your bones shake and hurt but you used your magic to raise the girl's body from the snow gently. You couldn't teleport like that, but she wouldn't be able to puss you away like she did before. Walking slowly you carried Frisk back to Snowdin. You hesitated in front of your house, but you walked past it. She probably wouldn't like waking up in the house of a… monster. So you took her to the hotel. After a quick chat with the over worrying owner, you carried Frisk to her room and slowly placed her on her bed.

You thought of leaving but you faltered. You didn't want to be there if she woke up and started calling you a killer. But you also wanted to make sure she was alright. Whatever was happening inside her mind, it couldn't be good for her. You retreated to the furthest corner of the room and sat on the floor.

You caught yourself noticing her while she was asleep. The way she'd crouched in a tiny ball and hugged herself with her hands. _She'd fit right in my arms_ , you thought and your face turned blue. _Stupid, stupid idiot_. You closed your eyes, because looking at her made your thoughts completely disorganized. Maybe you could take a nap for a few minutes leaning on the wall. You didn't sleep at nights anyway _. Just five minutes_ , you promised yourself.

 _The wind was howling and a girl was cackling. Cackling hysterically. She turned to you, her hands full of dust. It couldn't be her, it couldn't be Frisk standing on top of your brother's dust. The girl you'd gotten to know timeline after timeline would never hurt anyone. And she'd definitely not kill Papyrus. It had to be a mistake._

" _Poor Sans. Did you think love lasts forever? Cause it doesn't". She laughed and sent you a kiss before turning her back on you and leaving cheerfully._

"Sans?" you heard a low voice. You opened your eyes terrified. The voice was the same one as the one in your nightmare, but with a different hue to it, it was more hesitant, warmer and sweeter.

Frisk had woken up and she was sitting on her bed. She wasn't looking at you disgusted or frightened. Only confused. At least she hadn't thrown you out of the room yet. She didn't hate you right? Frisk couldn't hate you.

"What happened?" she whispered. "I remember nothing after the fight with Papyrus"

You sighed, feeling guilty about your intense relief. You were supposed to want Frisk to regain her memories, remember why she'd been there in the first place, and, maybe, recall the moments you'd spent together before Chara's huge killing spree. But a small, horrible part of you wished that she never remembered the previous timelines, never realized that you doubted her and didn't try to save her until Chara revealed her identity.

"You passed out, kid". You weren't lying, really. Just emitting a huge portion of the truth. You felt horrible, but you weren't brave enough yet to be honest about what had happened _. Ignorance is bliss_ , you though bitterly. If Frisk didn't know she was being possessed and manipulated by Chara, she'd be happier.

"Did you carry me here?" she asked with a strange tone to her voice.

"Yes, kinda"

"That was… very nice of you. Thank you".

You remained silent for a few minutes as Frisk was looking outside the window skeptically. She was staring at the roof of the cave in which Snowdin was built- a few cracks on it allowed some sunlight to reach the Underground during the day. You wondered if she was missing the surface, even though she didn't remember much about it ever since she first fell- however the sky, the sun and the stars were always very vivid in her few memories.

"Sans, why are you so nice to me?" she asked abruptly.

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you try to take my soul when you first met me in the Ruins? Wasn't that what you were supposed to do?"

"I don't really care about capturing humans" you answered, which was almost true.

"But why? Won't my soul help you get back on the surface?"

"Yes kid but… It's complicated".

She sighed and you got closer to her. Her expression was confused and a little sad. She was still looking outside the window, as if she were trying to spot the sun, even though she knew she couldn't see it in the Underground. "Please, tell me, Sans. I can tell there's something wrong. Sometimes you act as if… as if you know what's gonna happen. As if you've lived all this before".

You froze. That was the same thing you'd told her during her second timeline. You already knew that time had been reset, but you had to make sure she remembered it, too. Right then, her expression had told you everything you needed to know. Your expression was probably telling Frisk everything you just couldn't explain. You remained silent. She finally spoke after a few minutes. "It's ok. I can see you can't tell me. But if you want to… you can talk to me". For the first time after a while, she turned and looked you in the eyes. "I don't know why, but I trust you"

"Thanks kid" was the only thing you could whisper right then. If only you could talk to her about resets and timelines, but she wouldn't understand if she didn't experience it herself first. And the only way for her to experience it again, would be dying. And you definitely weren't letting that happen ever again.

You rose and then sat on the bed beside her. She didn't seem to mind. You thought she blushed a little, but you weren't sure. "Listen kid. I know things aren't making any sense down here. But I will protect you. You don't have to worry about anything". Carefully, you placed your hand on her cheek, trying not to upset her. She leaned her face on your palm. Her warm gaze and the feel of her skin on your bones made your body tremble pleasantly.

"Thank you Sans. I'd like to stay in Snowdin a few more days… Just to relax and rest. Would you be okay with hanging out with me sometime?"

 _More than okay_ , you thought but just answered: "Sure, kid, whatever you want". You rose reluctantly. You didn't want her to understand just how much you wanted to be with her. . "I guess I should go now"

"You're right, we have to go". Frisk stood up with a little hop. "Come on, let's go find Papyrus"

"Wait…what? Why?" you asked, feeling curious all of a sudden.

She smiled like a kid planning some mischief. "Well I have a date to attend to, don't I?"


	8. Double Dating

Papyrus was waiting for Frisk outside your home. It had been four hours since their fight. You laughed with his eagerness. You knew that until then he'd already borrowed a date guide from the Librarby and read it. After he informed Frisk that he would take her somewhere he liked spending a lot of time in, you waved goodbye giggling. Frisk was eyeing you suspiciously but she didn't suspect she'd be back in the same place in five minutes.

You laid on the couch opening the TV right as Papyrus was reaching the house and shouting proudly "MY HOUSE". You realized Frisk was having a hard time containing her laughter as she was trying to answer seriously. "That's uhm, very thoughtful of you".

They entered the living room. You pretended not to notice them, but you were certain Frisk would detect the tiny smile on your face. You had lived through this date a few more times, but you couldn't keep you amusement back at the awkwardness of the girl when your brother asked her to date in his room. "Hey Frisk how's it going?" you waved from the couch and Frisk appeared to brighten up a little.

"Long time no see, Sans" she answered with a playful tone.

"HUMAN. ARE YOU OKAY? YOU WERE WITH SANS FIVE MINUTES AGO"

"Yes, but I've been feeling bonely during this time" she said blinking to you and you tried hard not to laugh when your brother threw his hands on the air.

"OH MY GOD SANS YOU ARE CORRUPTING THE HUMAN".

"No, she's just _humerous_ " you said and Frisk chuckled while Papyrus was hitting his leg on the floor.

It was nice. Just like the old times.

Frisk looked around the living room and kitchen, asking about everything she saw. She petted your pet rock, browsed your physics and jokes books and then informed Papyrus she was ready to have their date. "Have an ice time" you shouted as they were climbing the stairs and Papyrus shot you a murderous glance.

You teleported in your room and placed you skull on the wall which separated your brother's room and your own. You always had fun spying on them during their date. It didn't make much of a difference anyway, since your brother's voice sounded loud and clear all the way to the living room. But it was fun hearing Frisk try to compliment Papyrus's look or gulping at the terrible taste of his pasta.

You leaned against the wall. These moments… that was what kept you going on. Daily things, as your brother's enthusiasm about entering the Royal Guard or his cute friendship with Frisk. Joking with them, eating horrible pasta in front of the TV. Building gigantic snowmen outside your house. If it weren't for these moments, you would've given up long ago.

Before Frisk fell in the Underground, you thought life was worthless. Flowey had reset so many times, you'd lost the count. You had fought him so many times, you finally gave up. Using laziness as an excuse, you gave up on everything except your brother and the old lady. Then, Frisk came and changed everything. Suddenly, you cared. You wanted to make her happy any way you could. She made _you_ happy again.

"PLEASE HUMAN, DON'T CRY BECAUSE I WON'T KISS YOU, BECAUSE… I DON'T EVEN HAVE LIPS" your brother shouted. You did hear Frisk taking in a deep breath, but it was probably because she was trying very hard not to laugh. Anyway, that was your cue to teleport back in the living room. You sat on the couch in front of the open TV and didn't even blink when Frisk and Papyrus descended the stairs.

"Did you have a nice time?" you asked, _too_ innocently. Frisk raised her eyebrow suspiciously at your tone.

"SANS THE HUMAN AND I HAVE DECIDED WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED. BUT I HAVE PROMISED TO HELP HER SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST"

For some reason, that seemed really amusing to you. During Frisk's last timeline, your brother always managed to leave you two alone or make you do things together. It was pretty funny. And, actually, convenient too.

"That's nice of you buddy. Anyone in mind?". You noticed Frisk avert her eyes from you. Her cheeks had an adorable shade of pink.

"I DO ACTUALLY. JUST WAIT AND SEE". You smiled. You knew exactly who he had in mind.

"Well, I guess I should go" Frisk said, heading to the door. "Thank you for your hospitality.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, HUMAN? YOU ARE STAYING FOR DINNER"

"I am… what?"

"YOU ARE STAYING FOR DINNER. I HAVE PLANS"

Frisk looked at you for a second, but turned her head away when she caught you noticing her reactions. "Well… I guess… I'd like to stay if it isn't a big deal". She was looking at you when she said this. You couldn't stop yourself from grinning.

"Not a big deal at all, kid". She smiled back.

"Then, I'd be happy to. Hey Paps, since you like spaghetti so much, I remember this awesome recipe… Not sure why this is one of the few things I actually recall clearly, but it is really good. Do you want me to show you?"

"OF COURSE HUMAN. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW SPAGHETTI RECIPES"

She gave him a quick hug and headed to the kitchen, Papyrus following closely behind her. You sighed with satisfaction. You hadn't done that in quite a lot of time. During other timelines, you used to gather at your house with Undyne and Alphys every two nights and watch Alphys's favorite anime. Papyrus would cook and Undyne would… well, usually break something. You would tell awful puns and Frisk would try to compete with you about whose jokes were better. It was good.

"SANS COME HERE, DINNER IS READY" Papyrus shouted after a while. You didn't teleport this time. You avoided showing Frisk your teleportation skills. People tended to be a little afraid of you when you revealed some of your powers.

The kitchen actually smelled nice for a change. The food looked very good, too. Frisk had never cooked for you before. Papyrus insisted that you two sat and then served you. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.

"OH DEAR! I HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. EXCUSE ME" he said and leapt through the window, shattering it to pieces. _Very smooth Papyrus, thanks_ , you thought. Frisk was speechless. She kept looking from the window to you back and forth, her lips forming a perfect O. You couldn't keep yourself, you burst into laughter. The situation was too ridiculous.

"Does he do that often?" she managed to ask after a while. You thought about Undyne's window. He had broken that in a few timelines.

"Sometimes" you answered honestly. She goggled her eyes but didn't seem to find anything to say. "So… I guess it's just the two of us. I you don't mind". You actually felt you were sweating as she was thinking about the answer.

"No… No I don't". Her cheeks were pink again.

You chatted casually as you ate your dinner. The spaghetti was pretty damn good. You commented her on her cooking skills and she was rather pleased by it. She asked you about your relationship with Papyrus and you were more than happy to tell her. You felt very relaxed talking to her, which was weird to you. Usually when Frisk reset you felt awkward trying to reestablish your friendship, feeling you were dealing with a completely different person each time. But you were actually cool this time around, talking about stupid things and loving making her laugh.

 _It's because she came back for me_ , you understood. After the fight with Chara inside her mind, when she managed to win and come back because of you, you felt surer about your relationship with her and you were certain about how much you cared for her this time. No going back now- you had admitted to yourself you would do anything to make her happy.

But the night was over too quickly. Would you ever get bored of looking into her brown eyes, watching as they lighted up by a joke you told her? You didn't think so. She stood by the door for a while, chatting for a while longer. "I should go. It's late, I don't want to bother you".

"Goodnight, Frisk" you whispered. She smiled.

"Goodnight, Sans"

She turned your back to you. Memories hit you- her body laying cold on the floor of the judgment room, her eyes full of tears as she was dying, you begging her to come back. Life was too… short. Happy memories were precious. You should make them while you had time. Because there was someone planning to take this happiness away again. You grabbed her hand before she exited the door. "Wait, Frisk". Your voice was low. You knew she could hear the pain in it as well. She turned to you again, her eyes full of worry.

"What's wrong?". You tightened your grip on her arm. You just couldn't let her go. Not yet. You just needed… five more minutes.

"Stay with me. Don't… Don't go yet".

You were too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. You preferred facing the floor instead. But she raised your chin gently and stared into your eyesockets. Her gaze was so warm and thoughtful. Full of kindness and… love? You didn't know. You could just hope.

She smiled. "I _will_ stay".


	9. Remembrance

"So what do _you_ do for fun with Papyrus?" she asked as you both sat on the couch. Her expression was a little embarrassed after agreeing to stay with you. You felt weird yourself- it was kind of hard to look her in the eye.

"Well we usually just sit around here and watch Papyrus's favorite shows" you answered truthfully. Of course, most of these times you'd fallen asleep on the couch. "He loves Mettaton"

"He loves… who?" she asked confused. You smiled when you realized she didn't know anything about the robot yet. You tried to explain as best as you could about the biggest (and only) star in the Underground.

She raised her eyebrow. "That sounds… neat?".

"It's actually pretty fun" you admitted. You didn't adore Mettaton as much as Papyrus did, but you actually enjoyed his shows.

"Okay, so I guess we should do that then?" she laughed.

"Yeah, come on, you'll like it". She rolled her eyes but didn't disagree..

There was a live transmission of Mettaton's latest theatrical show. It was an adaptation of the human classic Romeo and Juliet. Or at least, what Mettaton thought was Romeo and Juliet. It was basically him singing love ballads to himself, dressed in wonderful dresses, then switching roles to turn into a gallant prince. Welp, the music was pretty damn good. What was absolutely hilarious though was Frisk's expression as she was bravely trying to take in everything Mettaton did. After a very long choreographed dance, Mettaton-Juliet committed suicide over the body of her invincible spouse and the show ended in applause.

She couldn't keep herself from giggling. "Well that was… unique".

"You can't say it wasn't _humerous_ " you answered with a small smile but she just shrugged at your pun.

"You've used that before" she observed.

"That's true kid. I might prepare some new ones".

You both remained silent for a while. Frisk was still amusing herself by looking at Mettaton's post-show interview. Apparently, the premiere was a huge success. Instead, you observed her. She had crouched on one side of the couch, but she didn't seem to feel uncomfortable. Her lips formed a big smile and she laughed often. Her eyes were a light brown, no hint of red.

God, you had missed this.

"I've actually never done this in forever" you admitted to her. She eyed you curiously.

"Why not?"

"Papyrus's been training a lot lately. Undyne has been giving him a rough time"

She raised an eyebrow again. "Undyne the head of the royal guard is training Papyrus?"

"She didn't have much of a choice. One night, he decided to stand outside her house banging the door until she agreed to train him. Which, after a few hours, she did".

Frisk laughed and you couldn't keep back a chuckle yourself. You never understood why Undyne actually spend so much of her time caring to Papyrus, but it made your brother happy. "I can actually picture Papyrus doing that" she remarked and you had to agree. "Undyne… The name is ringing a bell. It feels like I know someone called Undyne. But it can't be a popular name in the human world… Right?"

You gasped but didn't answer. Obviously, more and more informations were trying to escape the block Chara had put to her memories. You thought about Chara's threat of revealing troubling memories to Frisk. She obviously tried that after her fight with Papyrus, but you assumed Frisk's mind was trying to push back the terrible memories and that was why she didn't remember anything after waking up. But maybe, she wouldn't do that with the happy ones. And you wanted her to recall these. Papyrus. Undyne. Alphys. _You_.

"Hey, would you mind if I tried something?" you asked her hesitantly.

"I guess…" she answered cautiously, "what do you want?"

"Close your eyes" you muttered as you approached her slowly. You noticed she was moving her eyelids trying to understand what you were doing. "And no peeking" you said and she nodded complying with your instructions.

You placed your hands on her face slowly. She shivered lightly. "Imagine you are sitting here, in this same room" you whispered. "Mettaton is playing on the TV and I am sitting on the couch as well. Papyrus is in the kitchen cooking spaghetti. How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds… cozy" she mumbled, her cheeks turning pink. "But why are you…"

"Just bear with me for a while". She nodded again and you kept talking. "In the kitchen there is also someone else. A female fish, with blue scales and red hair, an eye patch over her left eye. She's shouting like the world is ending".

You heard Frisk gasp. Her hands were shaking. You saw that as a good sign and didn't stop. "In the living room, there's another lady. She's yellow and looks kinda lizard-like. She's wearing glasses, stuttering and wearing a lab coat".

Frisk opened her eyes. She gazed into your eyesockets intensely and tears had begun forming in her eyes. "Sans I… I know these people"

"Do you know who they are?" you asked softly.

"Undyne and… is the other one's name Alphys?"

"Yes" you whispered.

She stood up, getting away from you. She walked across the living room, over and over again. You tried to speak, but couldn't find what to say. How could you explain this? Even you didn't completely understand her abilities of resetting this world. She buried her face in her hands and turned her back on you, hiding from your penetrating gaze. But you could tell she was crying.

"How could this happen?" she cried "how could I forget them? When did this happen?"

"Frisk… It hasn't happened yet… In this timeline I mean"

She looked at you, but she was furious. You'd never seen this look in her eyes while not being possessed by Chara. You knew she wouldn't hurt you, but what if you hurt her by not talking sooner? Her glare was sure ferocious enough to make you doubt she'd forgive you. "You will explain all this" she said coolly "and then why you didn't say anything before. I don't like being played with, and that's exactly what I'm thinking right now"

You frowned. Your left eye burned when you clenched your fists. She noticed the light emanating from your eye, but didn't back off. She was truly determined to find out the truth. You sighed. "Okay. I will try and explain, but not much will make sense. I still can't understand most of it". She was still standing, hands crossed over her chest. "Please, sit down".

"I will, after you explain and I am satisfied by your answer" she stated and you realized she wasn't going to relent.

"Okay… let me try and explain this".

You tried your best to tell her about timelines. You told her you had noticed time was repeating itself long before she came in the Underground. In the beginning, you only had vague memories of the previous timelines, but as time passed by, you could remember everything. You mentioned Flowey and she winced, but didn't comment anything about him. You told her that, when she fell in the Underground, things changed. _She_ was the one resetting then. She befriended everyone while trying to get back to the surface. After fighting with the king… she came back. And never explained why.

"If all this is true, why did I have this ability?" she asked suspiciously.

"I can't answer this question" you answered honestly. "But you did. And you used it to help monsters. Instead of fighting back when they attacked you, you preferred to die. Each time you died, you came back from a 'save' point. And each time you reached Asgore's castle, you reset completely".

She began walking across the room again. It was a lot to take into, you knew that. You had difficulty getting used to it in the beginning, too. But as you were trying to explain, she seemed to remember more and didn't question you or call you a lunatic. After covering what looked like miles walking in your living room, she finally shat on the couch moaning. She glared to you again, but most of her anger was gone. She was mostly tired by now.

"One more question" she told you. "Why didn't you talk about this before?".

You hesitated. Why didn't you, really? Were you just afraid of Chara's reaction or were you too weak to face her reaction? "I didn't know how to explain this" you said, which wasn't too far from the truth. "You had to actually remember something first, or you'd think I was crazy. That's why I tried to remind you about Undyne and Alphys today".

"I guess that makes sense". She sighed and leaned back on the couch. "I wish you'd done that sooner, though. I feel awful about not remembering Papyrus"

"It's okay if you're mad" you mumbled, not feeling okay at all. "I understand. I won't blame you if you just leave and not want to talk to me again".

She held your hand. You definitely didn't expect that after her menacing glares before. Her glance was very friendly now. "How could I not talk to you again? I'm actually quite mad to you, I'll give you that, but I don't hate you, Sans"

"Do you remember anything about me?" you asked, despair clear in your voice.

"I remember being friends with you" she answered softly "and trusting you. That's all I recall for now. And these won't change".

You caressed her cheek with your hand and she didn't flinch. Your face was probably blue, but you didn't mind. You just wanted to show her you still cared. "I just want to protect you. I will do that whatever it takes. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you" she answered simply. She bit her lip before talking again. "Hey Sans do you mind if I… if I stay here for the night? I'll just crush on the couch. I just want to see Papyrus in the morning. And you. I want to spend more time with you both"

You gulped. It wasn't the first time Frisk had stayed overnight, but this time your bones rattled by happiness. "Sure, kid. I'd really like that".

"Thanks" she whispered blushing. And then, she leaned and kissed your forehead.

You felt your bones burning. If only you could simply kiss her. But she probably wouldn't want you too. So you just stood up, left eye shining blue and brought her some blankets. She thanked you again, voice muffled by the sheets as she settled on the couch.

"Goodnight, Sans" she muttered as your entered your room.

"Goodnight, kid". _I love you_.


	10. The devil's influence

"SANS YOU BONEHEAD COME TO THE KITCHEN ALREADY I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WAKE YOU UP FOR HALF AN HOUR"

You woke up startled. It was nine in the morning already. You hadn't had a dreamless sleep since… it seemed like it was forever. Nightmares and visions of the past had been haunting you ever since the first reset. You had difficulty remembering why you'd fallen asleep feeling happiness- it was because of Frisk. Smiling widely, you teleported outside the kitchen, not bothering to climb down the stairs.

Frisk was sitting on the table eating a sandwich –which she probably made for herself since Papyrus could cook nothing but spaghetti- and Papyrus was ready to leave for work, wearing his "battle body". Frisk smiled when you entered the kitchen.

"SANS WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THE HUMAN WAS STAYING OVERNIGHT?" yelled Papyrus.

"Oh, it's my fault Paps, I just decided to stay last night because it was getting late"

"I SEE. SANS DO YOU BELIEVE HUMANS HAVE TO EAT OTHER THINGS EXCEPT SPAGHETTI? THEY ARE VERY WEIRD". Frisk held back a chuckle.

"Wow, bro, that's ridiculous"

"I KNOW RIGHT?"

You watched as Frisk finished her sandwich and Papyrus prepared to leave. "Hey, Papyrus, I don't think I'll come to work today. I'll just stay behind and guide Frisk around the town, ok?". He thought about it for a second.

"I WILL ALLOW IT. GOODBYE SANS, HUMAN" and without a second thought, he stormed out of the door.

Frisk laughed gently, with a nostalgic look in her eyes. Now that she was starting to remember stuff, this was probably as difficult for her as it was for you. But you wouldn't let it get in your way. You'd just work to reestablish your friendship.

"So what do you feel like doing today?" you asked. She considered it for a minute.

"You know what? I'd like to go to Grillby's. If I remember, it's pretty good right?"

"The best –and only- in town, kid". She giggled and stood up, heading to the door.

"Let's go then"

There weren't many customers at Grillby's at that time of the day. You took a booth at the back of the restaurant, preferring to be left alone with Frisk. Grillby took your order and Frisk got fries, like you knew she would. It created a nostalgic feeling of déjà vu.

"I think I've missed this place" Frisk commented.

"Do you remember coming here?"

"I think I do. But I'm not sure. It's all kind of… blurry in my mind. Sometimes faces get mixed up". You smiled understandingly and touched her hand softly.

"I know the feeling, kid. It was like that for me in the beginning as well"

She slapped your hand playfully. "I've told you before, I'm not a kid. Wait. I actually think I've told you a bunch of times during the different timelines". You shrugged and raise your shoulders.

"What can I say? I'm a bone head"

She laughed as Grillby got you your food, bringing a huge bottle of ketchup with him. You drowned your fries in ketchup and then drank directly from the bottle.

"Ewww why do you still do that?" she cried wincing. You laughed, drinking some more just to tease her.

"Do you remember me eating ketchup from the bottle?"

"Obviously, since it's so disgusting!" she answered. You directed the bottle to her, but she didn't take it. "No thanks, you can have it" she refused sarcastically.

You focused on the food for a while. It was good. Like the old times. "So, what do you think of my brother?" you asked, as you did in the previous timelines when you got out for food for the first time. She rolled her eyes.

"You know I love him right? He's adorable"

"Yeaaaaah, my brother's the coolest" you smiled. She smiled back. She always had a great friendship with Papyrus. She couldn't _not_ love that guy.

"I can't wait to talk to Undyne again…. But she'll hate me the first time" she sighed. She looked honestly sad about that.

"You know you'll become friends later, though"

"I guess…" she muttered and frowned for a bit. "I think I'll head to Undyne after this meal".

It was your turn to frown. "Hey, don't go to Waterfall yet. Stay here a little more. I don't want you to face Undyne as yet, you know she can be tough". She didn't answer and that made you a little nervous.

You finished eating after a while and headed out. It was a nice day, not too cold. Frisk looked troubled about something, though, and you didn't like that. You wanted her happy. You noticed the nice cream guy was standing next to the inn.

"Hey want to get some Nice Cream before getting back home?" you asked her, hopeful the treat would please her. She smiled a little.

"From the creepy Nice Cream dude that magically appears wherever I go? Suuuuure why not". You laughed.

"Just wait here for five minutes".

It didn't take long. But when you got back, she was gone.

"Fuck!" you muttered.

Where had she gone? You'd noticed she seemed to think intensely about something during your meal at Grillby's. But she wasn't like that when you got there, was she? No, she got all sad when you talked about… Undyne.

Had she gone to face Undyne?

"Fuck fuck fuck" you repeated under your breath.

She'd beaten Undyne many times, but she was a tough cookie. And even having regained all her memories properly, she'd certainly have a hard time surviving. She'd have to die again and again until she was able to win. That silly girl. She was always so infatuated with the head of the Royal Guard. You were certain she'd beat her eventually, but possibly not without dying painfully several times. You cursed again. You couldn't stop yourself. You had promised yourself she'd never get hurt again.

She couldn't be more than five minutes ahead of you. You teleported to your sentry station at Waterfall. Asking a monster if he'd seen a girl with a striped shirt come by, he answered negatively. You teleported closer to Snowdin, asking monsters if they'd seen Frisk. No one had seen her.

You realized that with her newfound memories, she'd know how to get to Undyne and how to hide from you. You clenched your fists and felt your eye burn. It would be difficult to find her. Waterfall was a big place with many hidden rooms and corridors, and Frisk had explored all of them during the different timelines. You started teleporting from place to place, asking monsters about her. Some claimed to have seen her running, not caring about fighting any other monster. You were certainly right about something- she wasn't taking her usual path, she was trying to confuse you, backtracking and entering irrelevant rooms.

It had already been twenty minutes. She could have reached Undyne by now and they could be fighting. You'd realize if she died because you could feel time going back, but you didn't want that. Her fights with Undyne were painful and they wrecked her. You didn't understand why she'd go into that battle behind your back.

You heard screaming outside the corridor leading to Hotland and terror gripped your soul. If you weren't late, you'd grab her and take her back to Snowdin no matter her protests.

You teleported in the right time to see Frisk dive her knife within Undyne's chest. The surprised monster tried holding to life, but couldn't help dissolving into dust. Frisk turned to you. Her eyes were bright red.

"Dear, dear Sansy… Have you not realized how stupid you are? You cannot escape me". She cackled hysterically and you felt your bones tremble. "Let's see how your dear Frisk copes with this, shall we?"

And Frisk was left standing on her friend's ashes, screaming.


	11. Regret

"Undyne? Undyne! No! No!"Frisk was screaming, tears running from her eyes. She was looking through the ashes, as if she'd find anything left from Undyne, but of course there was nothing.

"Frisk…" you whispered, grabbing her arm, "she's dead"

Frisk slapped your arm and you pulled it away shocked. Her teary eyes were full of distaste for you. "There was someone in my head. Someone was _moving_ my body". You gulped and tried to sooth her. "Sans! I'm a killer!"

"No, no, it's not your fault, we can fix this…" you tried to explain but she didn't even care to listen.

"One of my best friends is dead and its. MY. FAULT!" she screamed.

"Frisk, listen, it's okay, you can just reset…It will be as if nothing happened…"

"No it will not! I…I killed her… Undyne. My friend. Do you think I can forgive myself?". Frisk's cries were getting louder and louder, but the worst thing was the expression of disgust on her face. "You knew about that didn't you? The person in my head…She told me you knew about her. That you only cared for me because you wanted to be aware of her in my head. Is that true?"

You tried to answer, but words couldn't escape your mouth. You only took care of Frisk because she was your friend, right? _But you wanted to have your mind in Chara, too_ , a little voice in your mind said. It was true. You wanted to keep an eye on Chara constantly, to protect your brother and Frisk. You didn't warn Frisk about her though. Because you were a coward, too afraid of what she'd think, too happy that she was back to ruin it. And your actions led…to this.

"I see you're not answering" she continued coolly. "I get it. It's okay. You don't have to care about me. But you should have cared about the other monsters enough to warm me. Because of that… Because of me… Undyne is…" she starting sobbing again, barely even managing to breathe.

You knew she was right. At first, you didn't want to scare her by telling her about the other timelines. But when she remembered, you should have. You just never imagined Chara would do something like that. She hadn't tried to kill any other monster thus far, so why now? _Because you didn't expect it, idiot_ , you thought.

"Listen, kid" you told her calmly "you are right. I screwed up. BUT" you said strictly when you saw she was ready to yell at you again, "now it's not the time to talk about this. You'll scold me as much as you want, but only after we fix this. Okay?"

"Okay" she whispered half-heartedly.

"You have to go back to the time before your fight with Undyne".

Frisk looked down to her dusty, trembling hands and shook her head. "I can't. I don't know how. Maybe I've lost the ability"

"No, you haven't" you said firmly. "You just have to be determined. I can help you. You've told me the basics in a past timeline". She bit her lips, eyes filling with tears once a again.

"I don't feel determined right now" she muttered.

"You have to. You can do this. Come on"

She sighed looking at Undyne's ashes. The sight of her friend's remains seemed to give her some of her precious human determination. That was good. She could do that, you knew.

"Okay, so once you told me that when you wanted to reset even though you hadn't died, you imagined you were back at a place where you last felt safe and determined. You said there were spots all throughout the Underground where you got that specific feeling. You called them your "save points". Have you felt like this somewhere?"

"Yes" she whispered, not looking at you but rather somewhere far away, "outside the inn in Snowdin, when you left to get us Nice Creams".

You tried not to think about how she'd said she felt safe with you at that moment. How disappointed she'd be now… No, that was not the time to make these thoughts.

"Okay" you whispered too, "close your eyes. Picture that moment. Imagine you are living it right now, the images, the sounds and the smells, everything…"

For a few seconds, nothing happened. You had started getting worried, when you felt it. Everything went black and your skull starting buzzing, million voices ringing in your skull, of things that were or that never will be. The sickening feeling persisted for a few moments, before you found yourself in Snowdin again.

Everything was just as you'd left it. Monsters were walking around you as if nothing had happened. The Nice Cream guy was still trying to sell his products. Frisk was standing right next to you. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy and relief. You knew she could do it. You smiled widely and punched her arm playfully.

She flinched and her expression darkened. You felt your bones shaking lightly. Undyne was safe and you were happy about that. But you had done a big mistake. And something was telling you you were going to regret it.

"Frisk…kid… I'm so sorry…" you tried to apologize, but she raised her hand, telling you to stop.

"I don't care if you're sorry right now. I'm sorry I let myself be manipulated too, but my guilt won't change the fact I killed someone with my hands. It will stigmatize me forever. I just want to ask you why. Why didn't you tell me anything before?"

What could you do except answer truthfully? You owed her an explanation, at least. "That person, her name is Chara, managed to gain control over your body last time. She… wasn't very nice. She killed many monsters. Papyrus and Undyne, too. With my help, you overcame her influence and reset. However, in the process she managed to seal your memories of the past. She… she let me know by taking over your body and talking to me"

Frisk was left still in front of you, her mouth wide open from shock. Her expression, though, changed quickly from one of surprise to one of anger. "You knew all of this, all this time but yet told me nothing? There was someone talking to you THROUGH MY BODY and you didn't warn me?!"

Her face was bright red and her eyes were shining furiously. What could you say? She was right. "Frisk, I'm really sorry. I was so happy you were back. I really care about you. Don't believe anything she told you. When you came to the Underground, you changed my life. You made me better, you made me care about things. Care about you. When I saw you come through the Ruins again, unaware of all the horrific things that had happened… I just didn't want to burden you…"

"Burden me?!" she screamed as loudly as she could. Monsters were shooting curious glances towards your direction, but the girl didn't seem to notice. "You're just a coward, Sans, that's the reason. You just didn't want to spoil what was a happy little reunion to you. Didn't you understand I could've hurt someone?"

"I knew, that's why I was looking after you. I didn't think Chara would trick me like that"

"She wouldn't have taken over me so easily if I knew everything! Hearing her voice in my head shocked me so much I couldn't regain control… Nothing of this would've happened!"

You wanted to refuse, but she was right. Last time, you had managed to beat Chara together. You didn't do it by yourself. You chose not to trust her this time, with the silly excuse you were protecting her.

"Please, Frisk, I'm so sorry. It won't happen again, I'll tell you everything you need to know. Forgive me". You walked to her, raising your hand to touch her arm again, but she shoved it away once more.

"No" she said simply. She turned her back to you. You couldn't see her face, but you knew from the way her shoulders were shaking she was crying again. "I don't want anything to do with you. I'm done. Done with _you_. Goodbye, Sans". She started walking away, not giving you a single look.

"Frisk, wait!" you shouted. But she was gone.

You didn't follow her. You teleported in your house and fell on the couch. You felt your left eye burn and vivid blue tears starting flowing from your eyes. Your bones were aching as if someone was breaking them again and again. You buried your face in the pillows trying to muffle the sobs and then, the screams. You screamed her name. You screamed, and screamed, and screamed. But nobody came.

You had really done it this time. You screwed up entirely. You had destroyed your relationship with Frisk, a friendship built over many timelines and more…feelings you'd never felt before and now you couldn't talk to her about them. Couldn't tell her how much you needed her, how happy her smile made you…

Many hours passed. You hadn't moved. Occasionally, you shouted in the pillows. Sometimes, tears filled your eyes again. Then, you heard the door open and close quickly and your brother was screaming in your ear hole. "SANS ARE YOU SLEEPING AGAIN?"

"yep bro, I just took a nap". You tried to make your voice sound sleepy, not broken.

"I WILL NOT CHASTICE YOU THIS TIME BECAUSE THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS VERY HAPPY! I MANAGED TO MAKE THE HUMAN AND UNDYNE FRIENDS! AT FIRST SHE DIDN'T WANT TO, BUT NOW SHE LOOKS REALLY HAPPY. I WILL GO BY HER PLACE TO HANG OUT. AREN'T YOU COMING?"

"nope I'll just continue my sleep"

"ARE YOU SURE?"

"Yes, I just want to lay down for a bit" you answered.

 _And never get up_ , you thought, holding back another sob.


	12. The price of forgiveness

"SAAAAANS I'M GOING AT UNDYNE'S AGAIN. FRISK IS WAITING OUTSIDE AND ALPHYS WILL BE THERE, TOO. AREN'T YOU COMING?" Papyrus shouted from the kitchen. You were in your bedroom, staring blankly at your homemade tornado.

"Not buddy I'm just gonna hang around here" you yelled, not bothering to come out of your room.

"OKAY SANS SEE YOU TONIGHT" he answered trying to appear cheerful, but he wouldn't convince anyone.

You buried your skull between your legs. By distancing yourself from Frisk, you were not only hurting yourself, but Papyrus as well. You hated your guts for that. Well, if you had guts you'd hate them.

It'd been around two weeks since you last saw Frisk in Snowdin. Or at least that was what you thought, because you hadn't come out of your room that much and time seemed to pass strangely slow, specifically more so when you tried to sleep at nights. You dreamt about the Judgment Hall night after night, about you killing Chara, only that in your dreams, it was Frisk's brown eyes glaring at you with distaste. You always woke up covered in sweat after that.

Papyrus was really worried about you, but you tried to blame laziness for your awful mood. He asked you several times why you didn't want to hang out with Frisk and Undyne during the first few days, but you couldn't give him an honest answer. You just said you were bored, tired or drowsy. He didn't insist and he stopped hoping you'd come after a while. A week later, by your calculations, they started hanging with Alphys as well. That made you feel even worse, if that was even possible, because Alphys and you used to work together not long ago. You kind of missed her company. And Frisk's, too.

You did ask Papyrus about her a lot. They became quick friends with Undyne, as you knew she would. They always had great chemistry. Frisk was a part of destroying the Guard's house as well, almost burning it to the ground. Since then, she helped Undyne restore the house. It didn't take long with Undyne's unnatural strength. After that, they went to Hotland together to meet Alphys. Of course, Alphys loved the open, kind hearted person she saw in Frisk. They even planned an anime night the first time they met. At the moment, Frisk was taking turns sleeping with Undyne and Alphys.

And you? You stayed home. It was peaceful. Away from furious human women who hated you. It was also very lonely. But you wouldn't admit that.

You got a little worried when Papyrus told you Frisk was practicing her defensive techniques with Undyne, especially when you learned she snuck out at nights to practice. Papyrus was pretty impressed that she always returned smiling and completely unhurt. But you knew better.

You knew she was fighting monsters at night because every now and then, time reset. Again and again and again, until she managed to win the battle. And that was because she kept dying over and over again. Monsters killed her and she went back to her latest save point, but she happily repeated the battle until she helped the monster she had encountered and each time she got better at defending herself. It made you sick, not only because of the awful feeling of time turning back constantly, but because she put herself through all of that pain on purpose. She'd tried to do that again in other timelines in order to get stronger. But you were there to stop her.

That was because you hadn't been an asshole during those timelines, though.

A sharp pain tore through your spine, like all the times you thought about how much you had screwed up. You moaned and hid your skull in your palms. It wasn't getting any better. Every day you woke up trying to convince yourself it would, but it wasn't. You'd lost her. The thought was… unbearable. You just wanted to stay in your room like that until you didn't feel the pain anymore. But when would the pain stop?

The sound of the front door opening startled you. "SAAAAAAANS COME DOWN HERE, I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU" your brother shouted from downstairs. He was early. You were about to deny by saying you wanted to sleep more, but then you heard a different voice.

"Hey, come down here, punk! We haven't seen you for a while!". Was that…Undyne?

"Y-Yes, Sans! I've m-missed you". Alphys?!

Ok. That was getting weird. You decided to get up and check for yourself. Standing on the top of the stairs, you were shocked to find a bunch of people in your house. The most prominent were Papyrus and Undyne, being both huge as they were. But Alphys and Frisk were there, too. Undyne was smiling widely to you and Alphys had a hesitant smile on her face, but Frisk was very obviously trying not to look at you. The pain in your spine returned, harder than before, and it took all your concentration not to let it show. You smiled back weakly.

"Hey, guys, I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood for anything… I guess I'm just tired to the bone". You giggled awkwardly, trying to seem cool and failing miserably.

"Noooo, you ain't getting away with this, punk" Undyne shouted. "Papyrus told me you are being a wimpy loser these days. You're gonna get down here and HAVE FUN DAMMIT"

You tried to come up with a funny answer and deny, but you just couldn't do it. All your energy was going to not looking at Frisk. "Sorry, guys. I'll just be in my room. Have fun". You teleported right back in your room, not caring about the shocked sounds Undyne and Alphys made regarding your sudden disappearance. Frisk had probably remembered you had this ability by now. You stood with your back against the door, your hands trembling intensely.

You heard Undyne shouting to you again, but her cries were interrupted by a softer voice. "Hey, Undyne, I'll go talk to him myself. I think he'll listen to me".

It was Frisk. You heard her light steps walk slowly up the stairs. She sighed before knocking on the door. You stood there, not moving an inch. She knocked again, harder this time. Still, you didn't answer. Then, she spoke. "Sans, please open the door. I won't yell at you. Please. For Papyrus, if not for me".

You sighed but you opened the door. Having her so close to you, but not being able to express how you felt at that moment, it was horrible. You felt your left eye burn, as it always did when your feelings got turbulent. You turned your head slightly to hide it. Frisk was also looking somewhere behind you, not right into your eye sockets.

"I'm sorry for the room" you muttered, "I wasn't expecting anyone"

It was awfully messy as you'd spent the last two weeks just feeling sorry for yourself and not bothering to tidy it up a bit. "It's okay" she said and you moved aside to let her get inside.

She opened her mouth to speak, but you interrupted her. "You don't have to tell me again. I know I am a douchebag. I didn't trust you and that lead to a horrible mistake. I don't deserve your trust or friendship. But you are the only one who understands me and you've been my best friend for so long, I just can't cope with you hating me for now. So, please, just let me be". You'd said more than you wanted. You felt vulnerable as your face started turning blue. You averted your eyes.

"I wasn't going to scold you, Sans" she said with a bitter voice.

You looked back at her curiously. "Then what do you want? You specifically said you don't want anything to do with me". She pouted her lips as you said that. Her expression wasn't one of disgust. That was a plus.

" _I'm just worried about you… Papyrus has been telling me you are not feeling okay._ _I_ didn't want to hurt you Sans I just… needed some time alone".

"It's okay for you to hate me, kid. I really messed things up".

She raised her hand gently and caressed your cheek. You took a surprised breath and felt heat rising to your face again. You definitely weren't expecting that she would be so kind to you. "You did" she said with a little smile, "but you are my friend. You know that, right? I'd never leave you. I only need some more time to forgive and let go"

You closed her palm in your hands and she didn't pull it back. The feeling of her soft skin against your bones was familiar and comforting. A small hint of hope started forming inside you. "You can have all the time in the world" you whispered. "I will be right here. I'll never stop caring about you, Frisk". Now it was her turn to blush. You smiled and she used her free hand to hide her eyes. You giggled at her movement.

"Hey Sans… Can I show you something?" she whispered, still hiding her face. You smiled.

"Sure, kid"

You didn't expect the knife that she buried in your skull. The pain was unbearable as the bone shattered. You screamed until you felt you had no voice left. As you fell to your knees, your arms already dissolving to dust, you raised your eyes to see Chara smiling devilishly to you. _It doesn't matter_ , you though as you saw your HP of 1 drop to 0, _she'll fix it, Frisk will reset… Just make the pain stop…_

"No matter how many times she resets, no matter how much she tries, I'll be there" she whispered, a ferocious smile on her face. You were barely holding on to life. "Whenever you least expect it, whenever you feel safe you've won her love, I'll be there TO RUIN IT ALL"

Everything went black.


	13. A tiny bit of happiness

"SAAAAANS I'M GOING AT UNDYNE'S AGAIN. FRISK IS WAITING OUTSIDE AND ALPHYS WILL BE THERE, TOO. AREN'T YOU COMING?"

You were in your room, your skull aching like crazy, as if the knife was still there. You moaned pressing your hands against your head, trying not to scream again. Slowly, the feeling of pain succumbed to only a dumb reminder. Papyrus was still shouting and you hadn't heard a word. But then his words got your attention.

"SANS THE HUMAN WANT TO S… NO MATTER SHE'S COMING UP!"

You heard hurried steps going up the stairs and stopping in front of your room. "Sans?! Sans are you there? Why aren't you answering? Sans!"

You opened the door to a frantic Frisk, tears rolling down her cheeks. She let out a scream of joy and hugged you tightly. You were too surprised by her spontaneous reaction to seeing you safe and sound to react at first. As she held on to you sobbing, you hesitantly closed your hands around her waist. When she didn't pull away, you pulled her closer to your body and buried your face in her hair. Her trembling only got stronger.

It was a scary experience for you, too. The feeling of the knife penetrating your bones was so vivid you shivered. It was the first time during the several timelines you'd actually died. It was frightening to think there was a possibility there would be more. You didn't forget Chara's threat either. She wanted to ruin your happiness and she'd do anything for that. And for one second right then, you actually thought she might accomplish just that.

But Frisk had reset, as deep down you knew she would. She'd never leave you. And you would never leave or disappoint her again. You fondled her hair gently, feeling the warmth of her body against yours, not wanting to ever let go.

After a while, she pulled back a little to look at you. Her eyes were swollen from crying and some single tears were still tracing down her cheek. You swiped them away with your fingers as delicately as you could.

"Sans…" she faltered, "Sans, I'm so so sorry… I hurt you… I'm horrible…"

You pressed one of your fingers lightly against her lips to stop her from completing her thought. "Frisk, you shouldn't be. I'm right here, aren't I? I'm just fine"

She turned her face towards the floor, not daring to look at you. "I should have stopped her, Sans. I let her hurt you. I'm so weak". You raised her chin to look her in directly in the eyes.

"You did everything you could. I should've been more careful. I knew what Chara was capable of. You didn't". She buried her face in her palms, not answering. "Hey, it's okay, Frisk. What's wrong?"

"How can I continue like this, Sans? Knowing she might try to hurt someone I love again? I can't stand it". Trying to concentrate on the situation and not on her choice of words, you slowly drew down her hands. Being able to be with her after all this time of feeling completely empty, even under these circumstances, it made all your bones feel nice and warm.

"Frisk. Look at me" you ordered her and she did. "You're stronger than her. You can defeat her. I know it. Do you know why?" she shook your head and you paused as dramatically as you could. "Because you have people who love you"

She giggled to that but she her face had a slight hint of pink. "God Sans, you are so cheesy"

"It works though, doesn't it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, I guess it does". She bit a lip while thinking for a second. "Sans, I want you to tell me exactly what happened during the last timeline. No holding back this time okay? Tell me everything, no matter how horrible it is. Chara won't let me remember, but I need to know"

You nodded and motioned for her to sit on the bed. She did and you followed as well. You tried to tell her about the things Chara had done with her body, omitting some of the gory parts. Even so, she shivered and cursed occasionally, but she didn't interrupt you. When you got to the point of your fight with Chara, you stopped. You were surprisingly embarrassed to talk about the way you'd managed to bring her back from Chara's control. So you decided to chop it down a little.

"So, when Chara told me it was not you killing all those people, I decided I would save you any way I could. So, I helped you overcome her control and reset. Meanwhile though you lost your memories, as you already know, and you didn't remember me when you came in Snowdin"

"How did you manage to awaken me?" she asked. You hesitated.

"I talked to you". She raised an eyebrow.

"You beat Chara just by talking?"

"Yes… Kind of"

She squinted her eyes suspiciously. You sighed. Yes, okay, you didn't actually expect her to believe that. But the truth made you feel… vulnerable. Exposed. "I just tried to make you remember our… friendship"

"How? Sans are you hiding something again?"

You shook your head. It was hard looking at her. You were sure your face was shining blue. _Welp, it's all or nothing Sansy-boy_ , you thought. "I helped you remember like… this'. You leaned closer and placed a light kiss on her lips.

She flinched away surprised and your whole face starting burning. "Frisk, I'm so sorry I didn't…"

She kissed you before you could say anything else. At first you were so shocked you just stood there. But then, every cell in your body starting burning and you wanted to taste her lips again and again. It was a weird sensation in the beginning, as it had always been. But you had the advantage of knowing how to make her giggle or sigh. So you nibbled her lower lip until she shivered and moved her body closer to you. You pulled her in your arms and hugged her tightly against your rib cage, not wanting anything to get between you two.

She pulled away too soon, gasping for breath. She was smiling and her face was a bright red. She was so adorable. You kissed both of her cheeks and she giggled. She grabbed your hand in both of her palms, kissing your fingers and you shivered. Your left eye was probably lighting up the whole room at the moment but you were too happy to notice. A small warmth was starting to form within your chest, something you hadn't felt in a while.

"I see why that would make me come back" she said and you laughed.

"Well, it was kind of hard if you think of the fact that I was trying to kiss a murderous little monster, but it paid out in the end".

She punched you playfully and you pulled her closer for a light kiss that made her blush again. "Sans, were we actually… _romantically_ involved in any other timeline?"

It was your turn to blush. "Well, in the timeline before Chara possessed you we were kind of… you know… dating".

"Oh" she exclaimed. She bit her lips. "We can't do that now, though".

Your smile melted away. "What do you mean?"

"I can't risk getting close to you again, Sans. I like you, I've liked you since I first came to Snowdin but I won't endanger your life ever again".

You covered her face with your palms, making her look directly to you. Did she think you would allow her to leave just after you had gotten her back? No way. Even though it was very nice that she cared for you… you were never letting her get away from you again. "I'm not leaving you" you answered seriously. "We are in this together. Yes, Chara will try to ruin what we have. But we won't let her. I will be right here, next to you, no matter what happens. Do you understand?". She nodded shyly and you placed a kiss on her lips again, the feel of her soft skin against your skull making you shudder. "So, should I tell Papyrus I stole you from him?" you teased her.

"Sans, stop!" she said hiding her face under her hair, but you knew she was grinning.

It was both strange and familiar being like that with her again. It was everything you'd hoped for when she reset. Yes, Chara was there and she inevitably would try to make you miserable again, shattering both of your souls. But that was a problem for tomorrow. For a tiny moment, you would just let yourself feel happy.


	14. Her secret wish

"Sooo, how are you going to explain the fact that you were locked in your room for two weeks, not saying a word?" Frisk asked you raising her eyebrow as you motioned for her to get out of the room.

"Well, you _did_ break my heart, kid. You know it's your fault" you answered teasingly and she shrugged.

"Men" she muttered, "always avoiding responsibility".

You laughed as you got down the stairs. Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys were there, looking worried. Undyne got up when she saw Frisk with you, almost knocking down Alphys with her force.

"Hey punk, what's going on? You scared the living hell out me of running to San's like that"

"Y-Yes, Frisk, we were really scared" Alphys whispered, rubbing her hands together.

"HUMAN, SANS! WE NEED AN EXPLANATION!" Papyrus shouted.

You and Frisk both looked at each other and laughed. Typical reactions. You'd seen that before.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Undyne said.

"Yes, you're right, I'm sorry" Frisk giggled. "I shouldn't have rushed out like this. I apologize if I scared you".

"IS EVERYTHING OK HUMAN?"

"Yep, bro, everything's fine. More than fine, actually. You see, Frisk and I are dating now". You grabbed Frisk's hand and her face turned a lovely shade of red.

"I KNEW IT! I TOLD I WOULD HELP YOU SETTLE WITH SECOND BEST HUMAN. MY BROTHER SANS IS INDEED THE SECOND BEST IN THE UNDERGROUND"

"Sure, Papyrus" Frisk laughed, "even though you know my love for you is undying"

"Well, Sans, if you hurt my BESTIE, you'll have to deal with me!" Undyne threatened you, trailing a line across her neck.

"Not gonna happen" you said and Frisk blushed even more.

"We were going to hang out at my place, but Papyrus cooked while you two were up there… Sans would you like to eat with us, too?" Undyne asked you hesitantly.

"I'd love that" you said, smiling as widely as you could.

It wasn't a surprise to anyone that Papyrus had cooked spaghetti. It was kind of surprising to you, though, that it was actually pretty tasty. You ate it so greedily after two weeks of eating plain ketchup, that Frisk was giggling through the whole meal.

'Hey Paps, that was pretty damn good. Has Undyne been teaching you again?"

"If you haven't noticed" Undyne interrupted, "since you've been a wimpy loser the last days, my house burnt down. It was actually Frisk who taught him that recipe at Alphys's". You raised an eyebrow to Frisk, impressed.

"What? I've always been good at cooking"

"Well, you've never showed it before". She stuck her tongue out, but didn't answer.

After the meal, Alphys suggested that you should watch a movie. Of course, since you were talking about Alphys, it was an animated Japanese movie. You'd all watched it together before and Frisk remembered that, but it was still nice sitting all around the TV. You got to sit with Frisk in your arms, her head leaning against your shoulder, just like old times. You didn't put much attention to the movie. Instead, you focused in stroking Frisk's hair and teasing her occasionally. It made her blush –she was very reserved when you were with other people- and you found that very amusing.

Alphys and Undyne left after the movie. Frisk stretched on the couch for a minute and then prepared to leave as well. "I guess I'd better get going. Now that everything's settled, I want to go towards Mettaton Resort"

"And do you think I'll let you go, kid?". Frisk eyed you surprised.

"Sans, I can't stay here forever. It's very nice hanging out with all of you, but I should continue my journey".

Your eyes darkened. "You think I'll let you leave and never come back, just like the last time?". Frisk's face paled.

"Sans, I can't stay here forever".

"Then I'll just come with you. I said I won't ever let you go again, and I meant it. I'm going wherever you go. We'll deal with Chara together… Okay?"

She smiled. "I'd love that" she said and you smiled back.

"Look at this. We aren't even really together yet and I'm following you everywhere" you teased her. You took her hand in yours as you got out of the house.

"I'd really like taking a walk through Waterfall instead of taking the boat… Do you mind?" she asked.

"No, kid. Whatever I can do to spend some more time with you". She blushed and turned her face away, but she tightened her grip to your hand.

"You know, it's rather creepy calling me 'kid' considering you were kissing me mere hours ago" she said mockingly and you snorted.

"Wouldn't it be creepier if I called you 'adult'?"

"Ewww" she laughed, "that's awful, don't say that again"

You walked from Snowdin to Waterfall, through fields of Echo flowers. From time to time, Frisk would stop to listen to an Echo flower. Every ten flowers or so, she whispered something to the flower, but didn't let you listen to it. After going through half of Waterfall, curiosity was killing you. "What are you saying to the Echo flowers?" you asked her.

"I'm wishing" she answered simply, a little smile on her face.

"What for?" you wondered, honestly curious.

Instead of answering directly, she approached you and whispered into your ear hole, making you shiver. "I'm wishing for everyone to be free on the Surface again. I'm wishing for every monster in the Underground to be happy. I'm wishing for _you_ to be happy".

You couldn't answer or move for a few seconds. It was your turn to feel your face heat up and turn blue. "Kid that's…".You gulped. "That's very nice. Thank you". She smiled and gave you a little kiss on your cheek bone. "No, you're not getting away so easily" you laughed and gave her a long kiss on the lips, until she was gasping for breath, but laughing. Seeing her red faced with shining eyes like this, you wanted to make her happy forever.

Suddenly, a much more obscure thought passed through your mind, a question you had since Frisk's first ever reset. You hated to darken the mood, but you had to ask. "Hey, Frisk. Would you answer a question honestly, just like I did in my room before?"

Her smile faltered for a second, noticing your weird tone. "Sure".

"Why do you keep resetting? Why didn't you just leave for the surface the first time?"

She lowered her eyes for a brief moment. "I guess I should've thought that you would have that question. My actions don't make much sense, anyway"

"No, they don't" you confirmed.

She sighed. "Sans, I don't have anything waiting for me on the surface".

"What do you mean?". She'd never said anything like this before.

"There's no one waiting for me up there. My parents have been dead for so long that… I don't even remember them. I grew up in an awful orphanage. I was a shy kid and I grew up into a shy adult. Even after leaving the orphanage, getting a job, getting a house of my own, I still didn't feel okay. Humans are cruel, Sans. They will brand you for life as an orphan, if you are one. I didn't have a single friend"

You felt your bones tremble as you caressed her cheek softly. "I had no idea, Frisk" you whispered hesitantly. You had also grown up without any parental love. You knew how hard it could be. But she just smiled weakly.

"It's okay now, Sans. I have all of you stupid monsters. You are my friends. You made me feel welcome for the first time in my life"

Something was still striking you as strange though. "If you didn't have anything waiting for you on the surface, why were you always so determined to get to Asgore?". She laughed softy.

"Don't you get it? I was looking for a way to get you out of here. All the monsters. I wanted to break the barrier"

"Is that why you run off into the night to face Asgore without telling me the last time?" you asked, a hint of the pain you'd felt when you found out she was gone that night colouring your voice. She grimaced a little.

"I'm really sorry about that. I knew you would have stopped me if I'd told you. But Sans… I wanted to free you. And I still want to. That's my biggest wish".

Was there a human kinder and more affectionate than her? You didn't think so. She was a wonderful person and you meeting her changed your life. Falling for her… was the best thing that had ever happened to you.

"This time you will do it. Cause you won't be alone. I will be right by your side. Deal?"

"Deal" she smiled and kissed you lightly again.

"We have to correct your wish firstly, though" you said. You walked with her to the nearest Echo flower and you whispered softly over its petals.

"Frisk and Sans will free the monsters, together"


	15. Death by glamour

You ventured through Waterfall, Frisk telling you about her adventures till then. She'd beaten Undyne, she hanged out with a ghost, she fought with a furious dummy… She'd done these before, but it was fun walking around with her, teasing her and laughing with her adventures. Every now and then, you both stopped and whispered a wish to an Echo flower.

After a few hours of slowly walking and looking around in Waterfall, you reached Alphys's lab. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Let's take the elevator to Mettaton Resort. I've done all of Mettaton's… interesting activities in between"

"Yes, I know, I've been watching lots of TV these days" you laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"Greeeeeat. Wouldn't want to miss that for the world". You chuckled but didn't tease her any more. You already knew she hated being the center of attention like that.

Τhe MTT Resort was full, as always. An elevator was broken and a line of people were waiting outside. Frisk stocked up her backpack with enough food to keep you till Asgore's castle. The only empty place was the restaurant- its policy of having to reserve everything-even plates and forks- before actually eating anything did a better job at turning people away than inviting them in.

"Want to take a bite with me at the restaurant?" you asked Frisk when she came back from the shop. She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't we have to reserve everything beforehand?". You smiled wickedly.

"Not when you are with me"

You took her hand in yours and headed to the restaurant. You said your name at the receptionist there, telling him firmly that you had a reservation. "I don't remember any reservation for today" he said confused. He didn't notice his pen moving on its own, covered in a dim blue glow, writing in the reservations list. Frisk was trying very hard to keep her expression calm but it wasn't so hard for you since, you know… you are a skeleton.

"Check again" you told him smiling. He looked at the book again and saw your name written clearly in the list. The poor guy seemed lost. It was getting harder not to laugh.

"I'm so sorry, sir. Please, follow me to the table".

You both followed him to a little table at the back of the restaurant. It was really quite and dimly lit with candles. "It's pretty, isn't it?" you asked Frisk. She smiled weakly.

"Sure. I've never been here before"

"Is something wrong?" you asked, seeing her frowned expression.

"I'm just feeling a little guilty about tricking that poor monster". You would have raised an eyebrow, if you had one.

"I know that's not your problem. Come on Frisk, spill it out". She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her palms.

"Ok, ok, your 'reservation' is not really the problem. Even though I still think it was mean" she said, squinting and glaring. You smiled apologetically.

"I just wanted to take you some place nice, for a change. And my name _was_ on the list, you know".

She rolled her eyes, but didn't answer. Something was really bothering her. You took her hands in yours. "Tell me, kid. What's bothering you?"

Frisk pouted her lips before answering. Her face was turning red. "I'm just worried about meeting Asgore again. The last time… You remember what happened. I don't want to hurt anybody ever again. Especially… you, Sans". You felt your skull burning up too, but you smiled.

"I told you I'll take care of you didn't I? You don't have to worry about anything". You tried to sound as reassuring as you could, even though you weren't so sure yourself. The only thing you were sure about was the fact that you would help her no matter what. "Would you like to hear a story?". She chuckled with the sudden change of subject.

"Sure, Sans".

You told her about how you met the old lady back at the door leading out of the Ruins. From what you had gathered during the different timelines, you had understood she was no ordinary monster, but Queen Toriel herself. Still, to you she was just an awesome pun-lover. You also told Frisk about your promise.

"That I promise I made to her… you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything, Frisk?". You paused, not wanting to frighten her, but needing her to understand the gravity of your promise. Your eyes darkened. "You'd be dead where you stand".

She gulped. Her face was now a little paler, but she didn't flinch away from your touch. "I understand" she said solemnly.

"Hey, lighten up, bucko" you smiled, "I'm just joking with ya". She laughed without humor.

"No you're not. But it's okay, I understand, I truly do. I would have done the same thing".

"Well, somebody out there really cares about you". You thought about it for a while and then you fondled her cheek carefully. She didn't seem scared of you. "We _all_ care about you. Especially me"

"You aren't getting any extra points by that, mister" she said, but her face was bright red.

The waiter brought your food and you both remained silent for a few minutes, devouring the delicious food. After finishing, Frisk sighed and stretched her hands. "Man, that was exactly what I needed after this hike".

It was indeed. Walking with Frisk through Waterfall and Hotland had been nice but man were you hungry. You hadn't taken a single break. Papyrus would be really proud of you. "Yeap, I was really bone tired". She chuckled.

"Maybe you shouldn't eat so much. You're getting big boned".

"I've taught you well" you answered seriously and actually got a laugh out of her.

You headed out of the restaurant, feeling much more energetic. Not Papyrus level energetic, but you were willing to on an actual adventure with Frisk now.

"You know we'll be all over TV now, right?" you teased her and she whimpered.

"I don't want to" she cried. "I love Mettaton but, God, can that robot be frustrating"

"Tell me about it. Papyrus is all over the TV when Mettaton is on"

"I've noticed" she snorted sarcastically.

You left MTT Resort, walking towards the place where Frisk usually battled Mettaton. He was waiting there, cameras all over the place and a huge panel with the current ratings at his left side. As he was talking about his 'mischievous' of taking Frisk's soul to cross the barrier and become humanity's next star, Frisk appeared to be thinking. Then she exclaimed, surprising both Mettaton and you and managing to stop the robot's monologue.

"Look, Mettaton, there's a _huge_ group of your fans behind you!"

"What? Really? I have to be close to my fans!" he said with his hollow robotic voice and turned towards the direction Frisk showed him. Using the stick she always carried with her, she jumped towards Mettaton and pressed a switch on its back.

"Clever. Very clever" the robot said and fume covered the place.

You caught Frisk's hand as she stumbled back to you, coughing. "Ready for the big reveal?" you laughed and she gave you an incredulous glance.

"For the twentieth time? Can't wait"

"ohhh yes" Mettaton shouted and the smoke dissolved. Mettaton X was standing in front of you, his new metallic body shining under the neon lights. You had to admit, he did look fabulous.

"Oh my" Frisk exclaimed, surprised look on her face " _these_ legs!"

Mettaton posed dramatically to highlight those legs and Frisk clapped her hands as the ratings increased. She knew what buttons to push (literally) and she was doing a damn well job making the robot feel fabulous. But Mettaton was a dangerous foe, no matter the sick dance moves and eccentric appearance. He could actually hurt Frisk or kill her a few times. You'd interfere very little with the battle, but you wouldn't let her get hurt this time.

Mettaton turned up the music and starting using his legs to kick Frisk or throw her down. Having been through this again, she knew his moves and dodged all of them, making the battle look more like a choreographed play. The ratings were going wild. In between his attacks, Frisk posed or boasted and challenged Mettaton, trying to appease the viewer. Using tiny bits of magic, you helped her dodge his more difficult attacks and made her jump even higher or move faster.

The battle was phantasmagoric. It had always been hilarious and impressing to watch, but with the help of your magic Frisk's were even more amazing. Soon, the ratings reached a very impressing number. The robot had lots both its hands and legs by then by using too much of its energy. Ecstatic by the success of his show, Mettaton decided to take some calls from his viewers. As the robot was answering calls, Frisk hopped back to you, sweating but with a huge smile on her face. She wasn't injured at all. That made you smile too.

Just as Mettaton's energy dwindled and he turned out, Alphys managed to hack the locked door behind you and run inside. She cried when she saw the robot immobile, but then she sighed relieved. "Thank God, it's his battery. I don't know what I would have done if…" she sniffed and tried to hide her teary eyes from you and Frisk.

Frisk walked to the reptile monster and hugged her lightly. "It's okay Alphys, Mettaton's okay".

"I mean, its's just a robot, I could just make another" Alphys mumbled but Frisk embraced her more tighly.

"But Mettaton's special. It's okay, Alphys".

"C-Can you give me a moment? Go towards the elevator, I'll be up ahead". Frisk patted her head and headed to the elevator. You followed, after also patting Alphys on the back.

You reached the elevator, Alphys following closely behind. "Sans, are you going to accompany Frisk to Asgore?" she asked curiously.

"Sure I am" you answered and grabbed Frisk's hand.

"O-oh" she mumbled, staring at your joined hands. "Listen, Frisk, I wasn't completely honest with you. To cross the barrier-"

"I know, Alphys" Frisk interrupted her. "I need both a monster soul and a human soul. I've been told. Don't worry Alphys. I won't kill Asgore. But I will find a way to free not only me, but monsters as well. Do you believe me?"

The little monster seemed lost. "I d-don't know how that's possible. B-But, I think you can do it". She smiled shyly and left quietly when Frisk smiled back.

You walked to the elevator, but Frisk hesitated. Her face was paler than it had even been. "Sans, I'm scared" she whispered, eyes turned towards the floor. You cupped her face in your hands, making her look at you..

"I told you, nothing is going to go wrong. I'll be there to help". She bit her lips.

"But, Chara… she hates Asgore… What if-"

"Shhh" you whispered, placing a finger over her lips. "I've noticed something. If there is one thing that makes Chara weak and easy to beat is love. And, Frisk…". You hesitated for some seconds, feeling the weight of the words in your mouth. Words you had left untold for many timelines, but that you had to say eventually. Your face was surely as blue as it got. "Frisk, I love you. I've loved you for so long. I will never let you get away from me again"

"Sans…" she whispered, barely breathing. "I love you, too"

Those stupid little words, made your soul happier than ever. You knew she cared about you, she cared about everyone. But hearing it… was a completely different story. You could listen to her saying she loved you forever. "Then you know we can do it"

She sighed and then nodded decidedly. "We can"

 **Author's note: I'm so so so so sorry it took so much longer for me to upload than usual. I needed to take a step back and decide where this story is going. Now I actually know how this will end.**

 **If you have any guesses feel free to post then in a review or message me. I would really like to see your opinions.**


	16. Who deserves to live?

The elevator took you right outside the capital. You had been there many times, but the view awed you nonetheless. Most of the Underground was full of little villages, but the capital was a huge city, full of big grey buildings housing many families at the same time, temples, museums and parks. It was very much like an average human city like the ones you saw in the movies you picked up in the dump. The castle loomed above the city, built on the highest point of the Underground, closer to the barrier and the surface than any other location. The easiest way to get there was through Asgore's humble little house, which had a tunnel leading directly to the castle.

The way was not difficult and Frisk knew it since she had been there a few times. She didn't stall, but headed right to the little house. It was made from grey stone, like the other buildings, but it was much smaller and cozy looking. The door was unlocked. Walking in, you found the tunnel was blocked by a heavy chain which required two keys to be unlocked. There was a note on it, but Frisk remembered the message without reading it again.

"One of the keys is in the kitchen on your left. Can you go grab it for me? I'll pick up the other one"

"Sure" you answered and headed towards the direction she instructed you.

You went through a warm living room, remains of a fire still burning in the fireplace. There was a big comfy rocking chair there, with an open book placed hastily on it. The next room was the kitchen. There were some washed plates and glasses next to the sink, but generally it didn't seem to be used very regularly. The key was left near the plates. You wondered what was the purpose of blocking the way to the castle since Asgore gave directions to the keys, but you couldn't think of any reason for doing that.

You returned to the hall and Frisk was there. She was wearing a pendant, shaped like a red heart. You shivered. It was a very good representation of what her soul looked like. Her thin fingers were holding an old, rusty knife- she was looking at it with disgust.

"Where did you find these?" you asked her and she grimaced.

"I've always felt a strong impulse of using them, every since the first time I came here. I didn't know why, because usually I respect people's properties, but I always used them against Asgore. Now I think I know why"

You eyed her curiously. "And why is that?"

"I think these are Chara's. And she wanted me to take them. Didn't you, Chara?"

A flash of red appeared in her right eye. You prepared to use magic to keep Chara away from the castle if needed, but it wasn't necessary. Frisk's eyes were their usual shade of brown. She laughed bitterly. "What the hell was _that_?" you asked shocked.

"That was Chara reacting to me understanding her connection to these items. Sometimes, when she is emotionally unstable, I can understand her presence in my head"

"Emotionally unstable?" you wondered, your curiosity peaked. "So this… creature actually had things she cared about? She isn't just a sick killing machine?"

Frisk raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "You're forgetting Chara was just a kid when she died. No matter how she turned up… she still had things she loved, like any of us"

You thought about that for a second. Chara, the human who tried to kill every monster in the Underground, having actual feelings? Being emotionally connected to a necklace? You laughed to yourself darkly. No, you couldn't accept that. Chara was a real monster, by the definition of the humans. "I'll believe this when I see it. For now, she's just a bloody cold-hearted killer"

Frisk smiled sadly to you, but she didn't continue the subject. It was probably making her even more uncomfortable than it was making you. She unlocked the chain and walked towards the tunnel. Before you exited it, she grabbed your hand and squeezed it lightly. On both sides of the street leading to the castle, groups of monsters were standing and staring at you. Frisk probably expected this to happen, cause she didn't react at all. She just kept going, staring ahead, not caring about their voices talking about her. The monsters weren't mean. They just told her they were happy Asgore was going to free them by taking her soul. It was true, you knew. Monsters had awaited this moment over millennia and Frisk acknowledged this too. Still, she tightened her grip around your hand when the voices got stronger.

The voices stopped when you reached the Last Corridor, or Judgment Room. You sighed and signaled for Frisk to stop. You were a companion during this timeline, but you still had the duty of judging her. And that you would.

"By now you know what LOVE and EXP mean" you said seriously and she nodded. "And you found out how much easier it is to go without caring about anyone, murdering anyone who stood before you, rather than trying to befriend and help them. Frisk. Despite knowing both, you chose to turn your back on LOVE. You managed to make friends. You managed to be the amazing person I knew you could be". You closed your eyes and sighed. When you opened them again, she was smiling to you and you smiled back. "You didn't gain LOVE, but you gained _love_. Does that make any sense?"

She leaned in and kissed you lightly, sighing. "It does to me" she whispered, "because I love you". You smiled against her lips.

"And I love you, too"

You took her hand in yours and began walking towards the throne room. King Asgore was near. Frisk's journey was ending once more. This time though, you would be with her. Even then, you had no idea how you could break the barrier and free all monsters from the Underground. The thought was worrisome but you tried ignoring it. You'd face that problem at its time.

Outside the throne room, Frisk paused. "I want to show you something". She pulled you towards your right, down a stair you'd never noticed before. In a small room there, was a row of coffins. Each one of them had a colored heart painted on it. The one nearest the door, the one with the red heart, was empty. Suddenly, you realized. You gulped.

"Are those the… bodies of the humans that fell before you?" you asked Frisk.

"That's what I think" she whispered. She glanced at you with melancholic eyes. "These humans didn't have enough determination to be able to reset like me. But they had other qualities, Sans. Bravery. Justice. Integrity. Kindness. Perseverance. Patience. They didn't deserve to die. No one does"

You tightened your grip around her hand. "I know, Frisk. What Asgore did was wrong. But you know why he had to do it. He is not cruel. He deserves your mercy, too". Frisk nodded seriously.

"Yes, he does. Come on. It's time we see the King again"

The King was watering his plants when you entered. He was shocked to see the human he'd heard so much about accompanied by a monster. He clenched his fists to hide their trembling. You rambled about what a nice day it was, anything to delay the fated showdown, but he couldn't do that for much longer.

"You can leave now, Sans. This is between the human and me" he told you, his voice strict.

"No" you answered simply. "This is wrong. Frisk deserves to live as much as any monster does. I will not abide to your rules anymore, Asgore".

He growled furiously. "Will you fight me, Sans? Me, your own King?"

"For her, yes, I will". He glared at you condemningly but his anger didn't scare you. You had seen worse things.

"Come into the next room when you are ready. Both of you"

You followed him out of the throne room into a tunnel leading to the barrier. The barrier seemed like a semi-transparent white cloth, pulsing and vibrating with magic. It made your bones vibrate as well and Frisk shivered. Asgore turned to you, trident in his hand, back arching with guilt as he blocked your way to the barrier. No escaping now. There was no room for mercy now.

"Human, Sans. It was nice meeting you. Goodbye".


	17. Bergentrückung

"Asgore, I will not fight you" Frisk said firmly, throwing Chara's knife on the ground.

The King shivered lightly. His back was bent, golden hair hiding his eyes. Raising his right hand, balls of fire starting raining on you, coming from every possible direction. Your magic stopped them just before they reached you, hurting neither you nor Frisk. The boss monster clenched his fist, but stopped his magic, knowing he couldn't get passed your superior powers. You let go of the magic now that you were both safe for a while, not wanting to get tired right from the start of the battle.

"Please, Asgore, we can work together to free the monsters. No one has to get killed. There has to be another way" Frisk begged him, getting closer to the monster King.

"No!" he screamed and rows of fire balls materialized around Frisk, encircling her, trapping her. You heard her let out a small cry of pain before you could react and you immediately raised her in the air, only letting her on the ground when Asgore let his fires burn out.

You run to her. There was a big burn on her right arm, but it was only skin deep. Still, her eyes watered the moment you touched the injury, but she didn't make any other sound of pain. You felt your left eye burning up, a strong blue light emitting from it and even Asgore backed down a few steps. _I'll just hurt him a little_ , you though, _just to make him understand the pain he's been inflicting on the humans_.

The boss monster's huge body was raised slowly from the floor. He was so much heavier than Frisk. Sweat starting forming on your skull, but you prepared to slam him against the floor. Just when you were about to release the magic gathering in your right hand, Frisk grabbed your clavicle hard, forcing your hand down and you lost your grip on the energy. Asgore fell on the ground heavily and panting.

"He deserves mercy, too. Remember?" she said firmly, not taking no for an answer. She had used her injured arm to stop you. She was holding back from crying in pain again to calm you down, you knew, but you wouldn't bite that.

"He hurt you" you said cooly. "I promised you wouldn't get hurt again".

"It's okay" she whispered. "please, don't hurt him. No one else gets hurt"

The monster King didn't attack you, even if it was a good moment for it. His eyes flashed with recollection. "I'm so sorry" he apologized while raising his huge trident.

Two times the trident moved towards your direction and both times Frisk pulled you towards the safest direction before you could even react. The King gasped, but didn't attack again, giving you a moment to rest. He wasn't giving this battle his all, you'd known that from the start, or else Frisk could've never gotten past him. But this time he was going even easier on her. Could it be he was embarrassed of his actions, embarrassed of seeing you, a monster, defending a human when he was shamefully attacking her?

"How did you even dodge that?" you asked Frisk, eyeing her in awe.

"Just look at his eyes carefully" she whispered. "They give away which direction he's planning on attacking to"

You hissed. "Damn, you've gotten tough, kid". She just rolled her eyes, waiting for the king's next attack.

Circles of fire encircled you, one coming rapidly after the other. It'd be impossible to dodge without using magic, but you noticed there were little gaps in every circle, allowing you to get through it without injuring yourselves. _He's giving us a chance to win_ , you realized. He didn't want this fight to be unfair to Frisk, even with you protecting her.

"Please, Asgore" Frisk begged once again, "you know hate hasn't gotten you any place nice. But love got me here. Please, let's just be friends and find a way out of this together"

You decided to try convincing him, too. The King was feeling remorse for his actions, you saw that. Maybe you could persuade him to stop fighting. "Asgore. You've known me for a long time. You know I wouldn't help Frisk if she didn't deserve it. _She_ is the future of humans and monsters, Asgore"

The monster growled and columns of fire surrounded you. These were much more difficult to dodge and you hugged Frisk, surrounding both your bodies with a blue glow, making all fire balls fling towards other directions. The King let his magic die down, seeing it didn't do him any good. You waited for a minute before letting go Frisk from your embrace. Her body was trembling, but her glance was determined as always. Asgore, however, was a different case. Eyes full of doubt, he avoided looking at your protecting Frisk.

"Asgore, you can't beat both me and a human. You must know this by now. The only option is for you to show mercy, as Frisk is doing with you. Unless you are willing to kill me. One of your subjects"

The goat monster grimaced, not letting go of his trident. Yet, his hands seemed to relax around it. "I… I don't… I have to take a human soul"

He moved his trident towards Frisk, but she dodged it easily. Now that you knew what to look for, it wasn't so hard to do after all.

"Asgore, please listen to reason" you continued. "You will not win this fight. Drop your weapon".

"I'm sorry, Sans. Human. It is my duty"

"Your wife did it" Frisk interrupted him and both you and the King turned to her in surprise. You, because she never mentioned Toriel and the King… well, he had unfinished business with her. "And I have something for you, something from her"

Frisk opened her backpack and with careful moves she retrieved a small item wrapped under a cloth. She unwrapped it and a wonderful smell filled the cave. Was it… a pie?

"It's butterscotch pie" Frisk clarified, confirming your first impression. "Toriel made it for me. Don't you want to eat around the table and eat some butterscotch pie with her once again? Don't you want her to forgive you?"

"I… I… want that more than anything" the monster King whispered, almost falling to his knees. With one hairy arm he covered his eyes, trying to hide the tears that were starting to form in his eyes. "Can… Can I have that?" he requested, his voice little more than a whisper.

"Sure" Frisk answered kindly, giving him the piece of pie with slow moves. You tensed as she approached him, but he didn't take advantage of her proximity to attack her. He just took the pie in his hands, smelled it and took a bite.

His face almost transformed. Instead of guilt and fear, you saw nostalgia, sadness and… jealousy? He sighed, eating the pie slowly, making it last as long as it could. "How did you do _that_?" you muttered in shock.

"I think it's Asgore's favorite pie. That's why Toriel made it for me"

"He… stopped fighting. Because of a… pie" you stuttered. It was peculiar. The King was looking at the crumbles in his hands with adoration.

"A pie made by his wife, who he hasn't seen in years" she noted.

"You have a point". You looked at her and smiled proudly. "Look at you. Defeating the King of monsters with the power of love". She laughed.

"Man, you are cheesy sometimes". You had to agree. But what could you say? You loved a nice cliché. "Do you think he actually won't fight anymore?" she asked, biting her lip. You nodded.

"I do. I think you've won. The question is, what happens now". Asgore was probably not going to fight you anymore, but what about the barrier? Many questions were yet to be answered.

"I think I know my next step" she said seriously.

She walked to her fallen knife and picked it up. She raised it to the height of her eyes, turning it around, observing it thoroughly. "Frisk, what…"

With a scream, she rampaged towards Asgore, and buried and knife in his body.

"No!" you cried and grabbed her soul with her magic, throwing her back and keeping her in place.

You run to Asgore amidst her non-human screams. In the few seconds it took you to react, she had wounded the King almost fatally. The monster was moaning, but he would live. Just barely. He turned to Frisk, his eyes screaming betrayal. "Why? Why would you do that?". But after he took a closer look at her, he hissed. "What is going on?!"

You knew what he saw. You didn't look, because the sight would make you sick and furious, and wanting to _kill_. Not Frisk. Chara. Chara, who was laughing, laughing hysterically, without a care in the world.

"Hi, _daddy_. It's me, Chara. I'm back. TO KILL YOU ALL".


	18. Another player

**Author's note: I'm really really sorry for taking unusually long to upvote… I'll try to be faster next time!**

"You are… Chara? Human, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to mock me? Is this your… 'revenge' for the difficulties I've put you through?"

"King Asgore… That's not the case" you interrupted, seeing the monster King getting worked up.

"And what is it then?"

How exactly do you explain this situation? "Sir Asgore, your adopted dead kid is possessing my girlfriend. Please don't hurt her". _I have to explain, or he will attack her_ , you though. You scrapped your skull thinking of a way to make it easier for the King to understand and Chara seemed to find the situation very amusing.

"Daddy? Don't you recognize me? Your sweet little daughter?" she cried.

"…Chara? Can than really be you?" he whispered and the little brat nodded. The monster approached the human reluctantly.

"King Asgore stay away from her. This is indeed your daughter, Chara, inside Frisk's body. But she doesn't have very good intentions".

"Well, I did say I want to erase the world, didn't I?" the girl said, smiling.

"Sans… is Chara really…?" the King mumbled.

"Yes" you answered, "I'm afraid so"

The King stepped back, looking away from the red eyes of his adopted child. His trembling legs couldn't stand his weight and he fell on his knees. You ran to him, reaching out to help him, but he shoved your hand away. "I can stand up by myself" he said and got on his legs. "My child. You were… dead. Your soul was lost"

Chara leaned her head on one side. The magic holding her in place was starting to waver, if she could do that. You focused on keeping her body still more intensely, but at this rate, you would be tired soon. From Asgore's point of view, Chara was immobile, but you could feel her constantly trying to escape, challenging you to a match of endurance. Sweat formed on your head, but your grasp on her body was intact.

"I am dead, indeed" the girl explained, "but my soul was not lost. My determination kept it intact. My soul awaited in slumber, until the right vessel for it appeared. Frisk, a human full of determination like me. I thought we could work together to destroy the monster world. But she was… compassionate. _Disgusting_ "

"You call as monsters, yet you find compassion disgusting" you noted, hatred filling your voice even if you tried hard to remain expressionless. "Do I need to explain to you who is the real monster here?"

"Chara, dear…" the King mumbled, "I understand you are shaken. It's okay. This isn't the real you. The daughter I knew and loved would never…"

"The daughter you knew was fake" she said, spitting. "I never loved any of you silly monsters, pretending to be my parents and friends. I loathed you. I wanted to die"

"Chara…" the King whispered, his legs trembling again. "What are you saying?"

"Your Majesty, I don't think you knew your child as well as you thought" you noted coldly. "While possessing Frisk, she tried to kill several monsters". And succeeded, even though you couldn't tell that to the King.

"There must be a way to help my child…"

"The only way is to bring Frisk back. With our support, she can do it. It's her body and she will regain it. But I am afraid that your… daughter is too dangerous for our kingdom"

"I won't let the little loser take her body back so easily this time" she threatened, but you smiled.

"No matter what you say or do, Chara, I have faith in Frisk that she will return"

A sudden tumult interrupted you and made you look towards the entrance of the tunnel surprised. Followed by Undyne, Papyrus and Alphys, a regal goat lady wearing a purple robe came through the tunnel, a strict impression on her face. _It can't be_.

"Toriel!" Asgore exclaimed surprised. "And… all of you… why are you here?"

"TO STOP YOUR FIGHT WITH THE HUMAN, OF COURSE" Papyrus shouted, raising his hand in the air.

"T-that's right your Majesty, we will s-support Frisk" Alphys whispered, her face turning gradually from yellow to red.

"Yeah Asgore! We won't let you harm the human!" Undyne cried, materializing a spear in her hand. "even though I didn't expect your ex to come, too" she whispered to herself.

"Tori!" the King said, "I didn't hurt the human. I couldn't". The Queen placed her hands on her hips, sighing, while the others were exchanging surprised glances.

"Don't Tori me, Dreemurr. This was wrong from the beginning. I can't forgive you just because you did the right thing once". She sighed again, shooting terrifying glares to Asgore, who stepped back a little. "At least now you are safe, Frisk, my child"

"You are all pathetic fools" Chara laughed, making everyone turn towards her direction. You noticed Alphys and Toriel flinch at the unexpectedly cool tone of their friend.

"THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE HUMAN'S EYES" Papyrus noticed with a hint of fear.

"T-that's right… They are red…" Alphys muttered shaking slightly.

"They remind me of someone I met long ago…" Toriel whispered, moving slowly towards Chara, hypnotized. You were so concentrated on keeping Chara immobile, that you couldn't find the courage to tell her to stop. But the kid laughed, making Toriel flinch away.

"You should've been paying more attention to your surroundings" the girl whispered and you felt something on your shoulder.

On your shoulder, there was a thick vine. A vine you recognized from countless battles, many timelines ago. It was Flowey's.

Before you could utter even a single warning to your friends, Flowey's vines were around your body, tightening threateningly around your bones. You tried to move, but more vines came out of nowhere, grasping your hands and legs, keeping your jaw to its place, making it impossible to open your mouth. You could see around you though, your friends covered in vines and leaves too, and a little golden flower amidst all the chaos. Next to it, Chara was laughing.

An excruciating pain pierced through all of your bones at once as a dark presence took your soul in its grasp. You could feel Flowey capturing your soul while you were losing control of your body. You could only see and hear, as well as feel Flowey slowly expanding outwards, capturing souls from the whole Underground, gaining more and more power, until every monster was under his command.

You tried to move. Nothing happened. You tried to scream. Still, nothing. _Frisk_ , you cried in your mind, but it was fruitless. Under Chara's control, Frisk couldn't hear you. Your friend's souls were _moving_ too, trying to escape, to ask for help, but you were all under Flowey's control now, under his grasp, able only to see and listen.

"I have to admit, that was impressing" Chara commented amused. "How did you do that?"

"I took the human souls under Asgore's nose" Flowey laughed, his squeaky voice making your soul shake with anger. "After I got a few monster souls too, capturing all the monsters of the Underground was nothing. I have all the power I want. I can do anything. I am _god_ "

"Then why don't you show your true self now, prince Asriel?"

You felt your soul and everyone else's lend strength to that monster. The golden flower melted, only to reveal a figure taken directly from a nightmare- prince Asriel Dreemurr, grown up, soulless, his eyes full only with hatred and anger. Chara smiled and approached him. "Me too, little brother?" she asked.

Frisk's body fell on the ground. _Stand up_ , you though, but she didn't. Her eyes were brown again, but lifeless. It was as if you were looking at… a corpse. _No, no, that can't be true, she's alive_. She had to be. She was a survivor, she was determined. Chara's possession, couldn't have cracked her… could it?

At the moment Frisk's body collapsed, you felt your soul waver again and a huge amount of energy was used to create something else. With the body of a grown woman and the red eyes of the devil, Chara was alive again, revived by god, Asriel Dreemurr himself.

"Well, little brother… With me and you together again, nothing can stand in our way. What do you say we destroy this world once and for all?"


	19. The end?

**Author's note: Thank you so much for your support. The last weeks have been very tough for me and my family and your wishes and understanding meant a lot to me. Getting back into writing is not easy now, still having so many questions and anger about the car crash. But I hope it will help me get over it sooner. It's still amazing to me that people actually want to read what's in my mind. So, once more, thank you for this.**

It was the end.

Or at least, it seemed like it was. You were not tied down by vines now that Flowey had taken the form of prince Asriel, but his grasp on your soul was harder now that he had captured every soul in the Underground. Your body laid lifeless on the ground, you couldn't control it. From what little you could see, no one else around you could either. Frisk was still unconscious and you weren't even sure she was even alive.

Chara was laughing.

Swirling around in her new body, the little monster got around to touch the walls and ground. "Oh yes, that feels awesome. Taking over the idiot's body was okay, but she was too weak. And I certainly prefer that grown up body than my previous child's body".

"A sign of gratitude would be nice" Asriel said sarcastically.

"You know I'm not on for manners, little bro"

"Stop calling me little!" the prince snapped and Chara's body slammed against the wall of the cavern. "If it wasn't for me, you'd still be less than a ghost. Just a voice living inside someone else's head. You'd be _nothing_ "

Chara stood up, spitting blood from her mouth, but managing to smile. "I think I like you more like this, Asriel. You're not the crybaby I knew from before"

"No, I am not" he whispered. "I've been soulless for too long. I have no compassion left. Only memories"

"Just like me, brother. It was really weird for me when I woke up in that loser's mind. It wasn't even my soul occupying her-it was just my memories, a ghost of who I was. But now, thanks to you, I'm more than that. And we can get to play around a little… don't you want that?". The smile on Chara's face left no doubt she was planning on having a very nice time.

"I just want to destroy this timeline once and for all" he answered inexpressibly.

"We'll do that… But first, let's have some fun… with the little idiot"

Your soul was not yours anymore, but you could still feel it being filling with despair. Frisk was still unconscious, her eyes reflecting the light like lifeless mirrors. The way Chara was looking at her laying body, with the smile of a predating animal, would've made shiver. You had no doubt that if Frisk was alive, the other girl would find a way to punish her for taking her body back for so long.

The world was ending.

There was nothing you could do, was there? If you'd stopped Flowey before, if you'd foreseen he would try to take hold of the human and monster souls… maybe nothing like this would have happened. Now, you had no control over your body. You didn't even have control over your own soul, the very culmination of your being. But even if you had, what could you do then? The person standing before you was really a monster transformed into a god, a being with immerse powers. Not even you, with your research and knowledge about time, magic and human souls could predict just how far his powers reached. Perhaps, that was it. Asriel would cleanse the world once and for all, this world you'd hated before, but loved now.

You didn't even get to say goodbye…

No. _No, Sans_. What would Frisk have said if she could hear your thoughts? She who was always so determined, who never gave up, not even after countless deaths. She could keep going even when the world ended for her, even as her life drained from her body, for a reason. Because she had a purpose. She had a dream. She dreamt of freeing the monsters from the Underground. And she never gave up on her dream, even under the most dire circumstances.

You had a dream, too.

You dreamt of happiness. You dreamt of days when nightmares didn't interrupt your sleep every night. Of a world where Papyrus and every other monster was free and safe. Of a world were Frisk was happy. With you.

At that moment, that wonderful feeling humans called determination filled your soul. You'd felt it before, but not like this, this feeling that made you think you could do anything, anything as long as you tried and fought with all your might. You could do anything to save Frisk and all of your loved ones.

Your pale, lifeless grey soul shone before you with a pure, white light. Your body was still immobile, you were unable to move, but something was different. Even though your soul was still under Asriel's influence, it wasn't under his direct command anymore. You could feel your soul radiating your thoughts outwards, trying to reach other white lights like its own. But everything was grey.

 _Papyrus! Undyne!_ _Alphys!_ You shouted in your mind and you felt your very being trying to cry out your agony. Putting all of your strength into it, you tried to reach out to your friends with the power of your thought. At first, there was nothing. You could only feel hundreds of grey, lifeless souls. You shouted again your friends names. Some minutes passed. Chara and Asriel were still fighting, but they seemed to be reaching an agreement. You didn't have much time before they started to execute their plan. You felt your determination die down a bit.

But then, something happened.

Sans! Sans, I'm here! Someone was screaming into the darkness, and even though you couldn't hear their actual voice, there was something familiar to it. You could almost recognize it. _Who is it?_ you asked, aching for an answer. There was a minute before a recognizable voice answered you.

 _SANS! It's me, Undyne! What the hell is going on?!_

 _Just the end of the world. Answers later. Can you hear anyone else? I've been trying to reach out to your souls. Frisk's in danger, and so are we._

 _I thought I was sleeping, but I wasn't. Everything was black, but then I heard your voice and I kinda woke up… I think. But I can't feel my body. I can't move it._

 _Neither can I. Just try to alert anyone else, Undyne. We have to help Frisk._

It wasn't a big surprise to you that Undyne was the monster to hear your pleas. Of all the monsters you knew in the Underground, she was the one with the most determination. You could kind of feel, not hear her, yelling towards the black void surrounding your souls, screaming familiar names. _Papyrus! Alphys! Asgore!_ you cried too, desperate for an answer.

 _BROTHER! WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY CAN I ONLY SEE AND LISTEN, BUT NOT MOVE? WHY WAS I SLEEPING?_

 _Papyrus!_ both you and Undyne exclaimed with a hint of relief.

 _U-Undyne? S-Sans? Is that you?_ You heard Alphys asking hesitantly.

Then, the surprised voices of Asgore and Toriel awoke, too. Everyone was confused, not knowing anything about Flowey before. The claimed they fell into a state of dreamless sleep after they fell unconscious, but their souls heard yours cry out. If you could see, you'd hug them all one after the one, even the King, even Undyne who'd probably kill you with one of her deadly noogies.

 _Can everyone see and listen, but not move, like me and Undyne?_ you asked and you felt a wave of affirmation. _Our souls have been captured, but they called out to each other. However, we have to find Frisk's soul, too. It's more powerful than our own and they will surely go after it._

 _Sans, did he… Was that… Is that Asriel?_ Asgore asked, and you could almost feel his voice shaking from emotion.

 _I'm afraid so, your Majesty,_ you told him, not unkindly. _We'll find a way to help your son my King, but now we must concentrate on helping Frisk first. They're after her soul and they plan on… playing with her. I won't allow that._

 _No, never,_ Undyne confirmed decidedly.

 _I'M WITH YOU OLD BROTHER!_

 _Me t-too._

 _I'll help you anyway I can, my child._

Determination filled your soul again. Your friends were strong, kind and determined. They wouldn't give up on Frisk. _We must locate her soul, just like I found yours,_ you instructed and you started screaming her name in the darkness along with everyone else.

Everywhere around you were lifeless grey souls belonging to monsters whose names you didn't know. Somewhere there was Grillby and Greater Dog and other familiar people you wanted to help, but Frisk was your priority at the time. In the beginning you could only feel the grey monster souls in the void. But was that… a glimmer of red? Amidst the black and white plane where your souls lay, yours and your friends's glowing a soft white light, there was something lighting up with something different. A soul, almost subdued to Asriel's control like everyone else's, but not completely. A soul shining with the red light of determination.

 _She's alive! I can feel her soul. Call her!_ you said to your friends, shouting her name. _Come on, kid_ , you though. _I love you. Don't give up_. You didn't care if the others could hear your thoughts through your connection. All you could do then was show Frisk it was your soul calling out to her.

 _HUMAN! LISTEN TO THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU MUST WAKE UP SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE SPAGHETTI YOU PROMISED ME. OKAY? SO WAKE UP!_

The almost dead soul glimmered with a hint of blue, then it stopped glowing.

 _It's working! Keep talking to her!_ you said, noticing the reaction of Frisk's soul when it came in contact with Papyrus's.

 _Hey punk! If you could beat me, these guys got nothing on you._ The soul glowed green.

 _F-Frisk, you have to came back t-to watch Mew Mew Kissie Cutie with me, re-remember?._ Frisk's soul shone with a soft yellow light for a second.

 _Wake up, my child. I'll make some butterscotch pie for you. You liked it, didn't you Frisk?_

 _Human. I still owe you a cup of tea. Come back. You are the future of humans and monsters._ The girl's soul seemed to shiver and the red light shone harder. The red had almost covered the whole heart. It just needed a little more.

 _Frisk,_ you said softly. If you had lungs, your breathing you've stopped from the pain you felt deep within you. _Come back, sweetheart. Come back to me. We share a dream, remember? We will free the monsters together. But I need you. Wake up, my silly human. Remember when you did that for me before? You can do it again. I love you, Frisk. Wake up._

… _Uhhh…Sans…_ she sighed and the soul was red again, shining as brightly as before.

 _Welcome back, sleeping beauty. The world is ending. You think you can help?_


	20. Hope and mercy

**It feels really weird getting back to writing this after being away for so long. I felt terrible for leaving this fanfiction, but the words wouldn't come. However, it was always in the back of my mind, begging me to keep going. Originally, this was going to be the last chapter, but I don't want to rush through it. However, I will post this, the first half of what was going to be the last chapter, as a promise that this fanfiction WILL have a satisfying ending. Maybe not tomorrow, but it will.**

 **I don't know if there are people who are still interested in this, but if there are, thank you so much for bearing with me. The ending of this is near and, even though it makes me sad to think that it's going to end, I'm very happy for sharing this with you.**

 _I hoped this whole situation would've been a dream, but I guess I'm not that lucky, right?_ Frisk spoke to your soul, with a speck of sarcasm colouring her voice.

 _I'm sorry, my sweetheart, but no, it wasn't a dream,_ you answered kindly. And then a bunch of voices tried to talk to Frisk at once.

 _HUMAN! YOU ARE FINALLY BACK TO US!_

 _I knew they had nothing on you, girl,_ shouted Undyne full of enthusiasm.

 _I was so worried about you, my child,_ said Toriel and you could imagine her crushing Frisk in her arms. If any of you could move your arms, at least.

 _Let her breathe,_ you said and, to your surprise, they did. _Do you think you can move, Frisk? We certainly can't, but your soul is stronger. And you have us backing you up._

Frisk was silent for a few seconds and through your motionless eyes, you saw her fingers twitching. The movement was subtle and the arguing duo didn't seem to notice. _Yes, I think I can. But what will that do? I have no idea how to fix this._

 _No one does. But if anyone can, it's you._ You could feel her red soul tremble with emotion at your statement.

 _I will stand up to them,_ she answered, the slightest hint of uncertainty in her voice. _But I really need your support. I can't do this, not without all of you._

 _You have it, human,_ said Asgore with his regal voice. _Your kindness to all those monsters is proof that I've been mistaken all those years about your race. But I have to say, it's the first time I'm so excited to be wrong._

 _Thank you, your Majesty. So much._ You were sure that if Frisk was standing in front of you in this moment, she'd be on the verge of tears.

She cut her connection to your souls, concentrating on gaining the full control of her body. In a few minutes, you watched as she blinked furiously. She'd be able to stand up soon and then your little "rebellion" would be known both to Asriel and Chara. She'd certainly be in trouble then. Your little monster soul, weak as it was, was on the verge of breaking already. What would happen is she was hurt again? Surely you wouldn't be able to stand that.

Some of your worries must have passed to the others through your bond. You felt their sympathy and you'd have blushed if you could. You had conceived your romantic feelings for the human girl so much time that it felt rather weird having them exposed to the naked eyes of those monsters, especially your brother and your friend Toriel. But you felt their approval and it made you feel better about your choices. Or it would, if it wasn't for the imminent end of the world, which would deem everything meaningless.

Optimism. Undoubtedly your greatest quality.

 _Go on, Sans. Help her. I know you're dying to. We'll give you the last of our strength,_ said Asgore. _I believe you are the one she most wants beside her._

 _Do you mean that?_ You questioned surprised. _I'm sure you'd be much more suitable to…_

 _Stop speaking ya bonehead and go help the little punk!_ Practically screamed Undyne and you felt her soul transmitting you her remaining strength. So did Asgore, Toriel, Papyrus and Alphys. Their souls circled your own and filled you with strength and determination, enough to break your chains linking you to Asriel.

Suddenly, you could feel your bones. The cold, dry, hard ground felt like the most comfortable bed you'd ever laid on. You moved your fingers slightly. Your control over your movements wasn't as fluid as it should have been, as if there was a pause between the thought of moving and your body actually doing it. You tried reaching the swirl of magic deep within your soul. Your grasp over it wasn't as strong and natural as it'd always been, but you could reach it. It was more than you hoped for and, as long as it helped Frisk, you didn't mind if it stayed that way for ever.

As you were still trying to gain control over your body, you heard a laugh that almost made you cower back inside your tiny soul. "And what do you think you can accomplish now, human?" Asriel said, practically spitting the words. "You're a tiny human with a fragile body and no magic at all. No matter how strong human determination can be, it is no much for the concentrated souls of every monster in the Underground"

"You don't have to do this, Asriel" answered Frisk in her most kind, calm voice. "You don't have to be like this. If your parents knew you had survived, even in that form, I'm sure things would be different down here. They love you so much. And I know you do, too".

While his attention was occupied with Frisk, you got on your feet. So you felt the rush of energy from Asriel, you saw his expression change into one of extreme anger and the beam emerging from his hands. Your magic threw Frisk on the wall, but she wasn't hit by Asriel's much more powerful one. You ran to her as soon as you could, your legs heavy and difficult to move.

"Sans?!" she shouted, pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, sweetheart. The others helped me wake up. Are you okay? I can't control my magic very well, I didn't mean to push you so hard"

"No, no, it's okay". She stood up with trembling knees. "He isn't, though".

And indeed, Asriel was far from okay. His body was getting bigger and bigger as he was absorbing energy from the souls of the monsters he had under his control. Around him, space seemed to be distorted, objects blurring and changing shapes, as if his presence alone changed the fabric of reality. Behind him, Chara seemed tiny and unimportant, even though her smile could be the most frightening thing about the whole situation.

Seeing her tiny human body, an idea flashed through your head. A stupid idea probably, but it could be worth a shot. "Frisk, I think I have something. My magic isn't very strong right now, but it can easily kill a human. I can kill Chara and maybe Asriel will be distracted and he will lose control over the souls."

Frisk smiled kindly to you and touched your skull lightly. "Sans. No matter what she did to you, to all of us, deep inside she is still just a child. An angry, confused child, but still. I was like that too, once. Maybe I could've ended up like her, but I held on any hope I had and I became strong. Whatever she did, she deserves hope. She deserves _mercy_ "

You looked at her in disbelief, your skull forming an incredulous grin. "No matter how kind you are, Frisk, you can't mean that. That… thing murdered your friends. That thing took over your body and enjoyed your pain. She took you from me. She doesn't deserve any mercy neither from me or you". Frisk grimaced at your words and, standing up, she closed you tightly in her embrace and whispered in your ear.

"Please, Sans. I think mercy is exactly what she needs. Asriel, too. They need sympathy. Trust me. We will be kind, we will try to help them. And they will help us, too".

You pulled away from her embrace, trying not to let your anger show. "And what if it doesn't work? What if the only way to stop them is a bone through their hearts". Frisk looked away from your intense gaze, her eyes filling with tiny sparkling tears.

"If this doesn't work… I will kill her. I will kill her with my own hands".


End file.
